List of Italians
Encyclopedia
Actors
- Gino CerviGino CerviGino Cervi was an Italian actor of international fame.Cervi was born in Bologna. His father was the theatre critic Antonio Cervi.In 1928, he married Nini Gordini and they had a son, Tonino Cervi...
(1901–1974), actor and manager best known outside of Italy for his film portrayal of a small-town Communist mayor in the Don Camillo films - Eduardo De FilippoEduardo De FilippoEduardo De Filippo was an Italian actor, playwright, screenwriter, author and poet, best known for his Neapolitan works Filumena Marturano and Napoli Milionaria.-Biography:...
(1900–1984), playwright and actor. In his scores of plays he combined pathos and farce - Vittorio GassmanVittorio GassmanVittorio Gassman Knight Grand Cross OMRI , popularly known as Il Mattatore, was an Italian theatre and film actor and director...
(1922–2000), film and theatre actor and director - Elio GermanoElio GermanoElio Germano is an Italian actor.Born in Rome, he debuted, aged twelve, in the Castellano e Pipolo's movie Ci hai rotto papà...
(born 1980), actor who won the Best Actor AwardBest Actor Award (Cannes Film Festival)The Best Actor Award is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the jury from the 'official section' of movies at the festival. It was first awarded in 1946.- Award Winners :-External links:* * ....
at the Cannes Film FestivalCannes Film FestivalThe Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
in 2010 - Giancarlo GianniniGiancarlo GianniniGiancarlo Giannini is an Italian actor and dubber.Giannini was born La Spezia, Liguria, Italy. He studied at the Accademia Nazionale d'Arte Drammatica in Rome, and made his film debut in a small part in Fango sulla metropoli in 1965...
(born 1942), actor and dubber, best known for his powerful leads in Lina WertmüllerLina WertmüllerLina Wertmüller is an Italian film writer and director of aristocratic Swiss descent. In 1976, she became the first woman ever to be nominated for an Academy Award for Directing with the film Seven Beauties.-Biography:...
films, controversial tragicomedies that deal with sex and politics - Terence HillTerence HillTerence Hill is an Italian actor. He is best known for starring in multiple action and western films together with his longtime filmpartner Bud Spencer.-Biography:...
(born 1939), actor, who became famous for playing in Italian western movies (also called spaghetti westernSpaghetti WesternSpaghetti Western, also known as Italo-Western, is a nickname for a broad sub-genre of Western films that emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's unique and much copied film-making style and international box-office success, so named by American critics because most were produced and...
s) together with his friend and partner Bud SpencerBud SpencerBud Spencer is an Italian actor, filmmaker and former swimmer . He is known for past roles in spaghetti westerns together with his long time filmpartner Terence Hill... - Nino ManfrediNino ManfrediNino Manfredi was an Italian actor, one of the most prominent in the commedia all'italiana genre....
(1921–2004), actor, one of the most prominent in the commedia all'italianaCommedia all'italianaCommedia all'italiana or Italian-style comedy is an Italian film genre. It is widely considered to have started with Mario Monicelli's I soliti ignoti in 1958 and derives its name from the title of Pietro Germi's Divorzio all'italiana .-Stars:Vittorio Gassman, Ugo...
genre - Marcello MastroianniMarcello MastroianniMarcello Vincenzo Domenico Mastroianni, Knight Grand Cross was an Italian film actor. His honours included British Film Academy Awards, Best Actor awards at the Cannes Film Festival and two Golden Globe Awards.- Personal life :...
(1924–1996), actor who became the preeminent leading man in Italian cinema during the 1960s. He acted in more than 100 movies - Amedeo NazzariAmedeo NazzariAmedeo Nazzari was an Italian actor.Star of Italian cinema during the 40's and 50's. He made several melodramas with Raffaello Matarazzo, such as Catene in 1949...
(1907–1979), actor. He had a long and distinguished movie career, spanning four decades and including over 100 films - Alberto SordiAlberto SordiAlberto Sordi, also known as Albertone, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian actor. He was also a film director and the dubbing voice of Oliver Hardy in the Italian version of the Laurel & Hardy films....
(1920–2003), actor. Depicted the vices, virtues, and foibles of post-World War II Italy in a long career of mostly comic films and was regarded as a national icon - Ugo TognazziUgo TognazziUgo Tognazzi was an Italian film, TV, and theatre actor, director, and screenwriter.-Early life:Tognazzi was born in Cremona, in northern Italy but spent his youth in various localities as his father was a traveller clerk for an insurance company.After his return in the native city in 1936, he...
(1922–1990), film and theatre actor - TotòTotòPrince Antonio Focas Flavio Angelo Ducas Comneno De Curtis di Bisanzio Gagliardi, best known by his stage name Totò and nicknamed il principe della risata was an Italian comedian, film and theatre actor, writer, singer and songwriter...
(1898–1967), actor. Likened by international filmFilmA film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
criticCriticA critic is anyone who expresses a value judgement. Informally, criticism is a common aspect of all human expression and need not necessarily imply skilled or accurate expressions of judgement. Critical judgements, good or bad, may be positive , negative , or balanced...
s to the American film comic Buster KeatonBuster KeatonJoseph Frank "Buster" Keaton was an American comic actor, filmmaker, producer and writer. He was best known for his silent films, in which his trademark was physical comedy with a consistently stoic, deadpan expression, earning him the nickname "The Great Stone Face".Keaton was recognized as the... - Massimo TroisiMassimo TroisiMassimo Troisi was an Italian actor, film director, and poet. He is best known for his role as Mario Ruoppolo in the 1994 film Il Postino.- Early years and TV star :...
(1953–1994), actor and director. Internationally, Troisi is best known for co-starring in Il PostinoIl PostinoIl Postino is a 1994 Italian film directed by Michael Radford. The film was originally released in the U.S. as The Postman, a straight translation of the Italian title...
(1994) - Rudolph ValentinoRudolph ValentinoRudolph Valentino was an Italian actor, and early pop icon. A sex symbol of the 1920s, Valentino was known as the "Latin Lover". He starred in several well-known silent films including The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Sheik, Blood and Sand, The Eagle and Son of the Sheik...
(1895–1926), actor, who was idolized as the "Great Lover" of the 1920s - Carlo VerdoneCarlo VerdoneCarlo Verdone is an Italian actor, screenwriter and film director.-Early life:Carlo Verdone was born in Rome to Mario Verdone, an important Italian film critic, and during his youth he earned a degree in Modern Literature at Sapienza University of Rome and a degree in Film Direction at the Centro...
(born 1950), actor, screenwriter and film director, specialized in comedies - Gian Maria VolontèGian Maria VolontèGian Maria Volonté was an Italian actor. He is perhaps most famous outside of Italy for his roles as the main villain in Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More.-Early life:Volonté was born in Milan, and graduated in Rome in 1957...
(1933–1994), actor. He is perhaps best known outside of Italy for his roles in A Fistful of DollarsA Fistful of DollarsA Fistful of Dollars is a 1964 Italian Spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood alongside Gian Maria Volonté, Marianne Koch, Wolfgang Lukschy, Sieghardt Rupp, José Calvo, Antonio Prieto, and Joseph Egger. Released in Italy in 1964 then in the United States in...
(1964) and For a Few Dollars MoreFor a Few Dollars MoreFor a Few Dollars More is a 1965 Italian spaghetti western film directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and Gian Maria Volonté. German actor Klaus Kinski also plays a supporting role as a secondary villain...
(1965)
Actresses
- Clara CalamaiClara CalamaiClara Calamai was an Italian actress.Her debut was in 1938 with Pietro Micca, directed by Aldo Vergano....
(1909–1998), actress. She is most remembered as the actress playing Carlo's mother, female lead in Luchino Visconti's OssessioneOssessioneOssessione is a 1943 film based on the novel, The Postman Always Rings Twice, by James M. Cain. Luchino Visconti’s first feature film, it is considered by many to be the first Italian neorealist film, though there is some debate about whether such a categorization is accurate.- Historical context...
(1943) - Claudia CardinaleClaudia CardinaleClaudia Cardinale is an Italian actress, and has appeared in some of the most prominent European films of the 1960s and 1970s. The majority of Cardinale's films have been either Italian or French...
(born 1938), actress. Some of the most notable films she has appeared in include 8½8½8½ is a 1963 Italian fantasy film directed by Federico Fellini. Co-scripted by Fellini, Tullio Pinelli, Ennio Flaiano, and Brunello Rondi, it stars Marcello Mastroianni as Guido Anselmi, a famous Italian film director...
(1963) and Once Upon a Time in the WestOnce Upon a Time in the WestOnce Upon a Time in the West is a 1968 Italian epic spaghetti western film directed by Sergio Leone for Paramount Pictures. It stars Henry Fonda cast against type as the villain, Charles Bronson as his nemesis, Jason Robards as a bandit, and Claudia Cardinale as a newly widowed homesteader with a...
(1968) - Eleonora DuseEleonora Duse-Life and career:Duse was born in Vigevano, Lombardy, and began acting as a child. Both her father and her grandfather were actors, and she joined the troupe at age four. Due to poverty, she initially worked continually, traveling from city to city with whichever troupe her family was currently...
(1858–1924), the most fluent and expressive actress of her day, she was especially noted for her roles in Henrik IbsenHenrik IbsenHenrik Ibsen was a major 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theatre director, and poet. He is often referred to as "the father of prose drama" and is one of the founders of Modernism in the theatre...
's plays - Virna LisiVirna LisiVirna Lisi is a Cannes and César award-winning Italian film actress. She was born in Ancona, Marche, as Virna Lisa Pieralisi.-Early career:...
(born 1936), one of the most famous ItalianItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
actresses. She has won CannesBest Actress Award (Cannes Film Festival)The Best Actress Award is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the jury from the 'official section' of films at the festival. It was first awarded in 1946.-Award Winners:-External links:* * ....
and CésarCésar AwardThe César Award is the national film award of France, first given out in 1975. The nominations are selected by the members of the Académie des arts et techniques du cinéma....
awards - Gina LollobrigidaGina LollobrigidaGina Lollobrigida is an Italian actress, photojournalist and sculptress. She was one of the most popular European actresses of the 1950s and early 1960s. She was also an iconic sex symbol of the 1950s. Today, she remains an active supporter of Italian and Italian American causes, particularly the...
(born 1927), actress. One of the first European sex symbolSex symbolA sex symbol is a celebrity of either gender, typically an actor, musician, supermodel, teen idol, or sports star, noted for their sex appeal. The term was first used in the mid 1950s in relation to the popularity of certain Hollywood stars, especially Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte...
s to emerge from the rubble of World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... - Sophia LorenSophia LorenSophia Loren, OMRI is an Italian actress.In 1962, Loren won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Two Women, along with 21 awards, becoming the first actress to win an Academy Award for a non-English-speaking performance...
(born 1934), actress. One of Italy's great 20th-century sex symbols - Anna MagnaniAnna MagnaniAnna Magnani was an Italian stage and film actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress, along with four other international awards, for her portrayal of a Sicilian widow in The Rose Tattoo....
(1908–1973), actress. In the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, she was nominated twice for an Academy Award for best actress, winning the Oscar in 1955 for her role in The Rose Tattoo - Silvana ManganoSilvana ManganoSilvana Mangano was an Italian actress.Raised in poverty during World War II, Mangano trained as a dancer and worked as a model before winning a "Miss Rome" beauty pageant in 1946...
(1930–1989), actress, known for the critically acclaimed 1949 film, Bitter RiceBitter RiceBitter Rice is a 1949 Italian film made by Lux Film, written and directed by Giuseppe De Santis. Produced by Dino De Laurentiis, starring Silvana Mangano, Raf Vallone, Doris Dowling and Vittorio Gassman, Bitter Rice was a commercial success in Europe and America. It was a product of the Italian... - Mariangela MelatoMariangela MelatoMariangela Melato is an Italian actress.Melato was born in Milan and studied at the Milan Theatre Academy. A striking, blonde actress, she began her stage career in the early 1960s and rose to fame after delivering powerful performances for a number of notable Italian stage directors such as Dario...
(born 1941), actress best known for her work in Lina WertmüllerLina WertmüllerLina Wertmüller is an Italian film writer and director of aristocratic Swiss descent. In 1976, she became the first woman ever to be nominated for an Academy Award for Directing with the film Seven Beauties.-Biography:...
movies - Sandra MiloSandra MiloSandra Milo is an Italian actress. She is perhaps best known for her roles in Federico Fellini's 8½ and Juliet of the Spirits, winning a Silver Ribbon best supporting actress award for each film.-Career:...
(born 1935), actress. Some of her more prestigious credits include RosselliniRoberto RosselliniRoberto Rossellini was an Italian film director and screenwriter. Rossellini was one of the directors of the Italian neorealist cinema, contributing films such as Roma città aperta to the movement.-Early life:Born in Rome, Roberto Rossellini lived on the Via Ludovisi, where Benito Mussolini had...
's General della RovereGeneral della RovereGeneral della Rovere is a 1959 Italian film directed by Roberto Rossellini. The film is based on a novel by Indro Montanelli which was in turn based on a true story.-Plot:...
(1959) and Fellini's 8½8½8½ is a 1963 Italian fantasy film directed by Federico Fellini. Co-scripted by Fellini, Tullio Pinelli, Ennio Flaiano, and Brunello Rondi, it stars Marcello Mastroianni as Guido Anselmi, a famous Italian film director...
(1963) and Juliet of the SpiritsJuliet of the SpiritsJuliet of the Spirits is a 1965 Italian film directed by Federico Fellini that uses "caricatural types and dream situations to represent a psychic landscape"...
(1965) - Alida ValliAlida ValliAlida Valli , sometimes simply credited as Valli, was an Italian actress who appeared in more than 100 films, including Mario Soldati's Piccolo mondo antico, Alfred Hitchcock's The Paradine Case, Carol Reed's The Third Man, Michelangelo Antonioni's Il Grido, Luchino Visconti's Senso, Bernardo...
(1921–2006), actress, had roles in more than 100 films. Internationally, however, she is perhaps best known for her turn as Anna Schmidt in The Third ManThe Third ManThe Third Man is a 1949 British film noir, directed by Carol Reed and starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, and Trevor Howard. Many critics rank it as a masterpiece, particularly remembered for its atmospheric cinematography, performances, and unique musical score...
(1949) - Monica VittiMonica VittiMonica Vitti is an Italian actress best known for her starring roles in films directed by Michelangelo Antonioni, her lover at that time, during the early 1960s...
(born 1931), actress. Awards: three Nastro d'ArgentoNastro d'ArgentoThe Nastro d'Argento is a movie award assigned each year, since 1946, for cinematic performances and production by Sindacato Nazionale dei Giornalisti Cinematografici Italiani, the association of Italian film critics...
Awards, nine David di DonatelloDavid di DonatelloDavid di Donatello, named after Donatello's David, is a movie award assigned each year for cinematic performances and production by Ente David di Donatello, part of Accademia del Cinema Italiano. It is the Italian equivalent to the Academy Award. There are 24 categories as of 2006.- History :The...
Awards, and four Italian Golden Grails
Ancient Rome
- Cocceius AuctusCocceius AuctusLucius Cocceius Auctus was a Roman architect employed by Octavian's strategist Agrippa to excavate the subterranean passageways the crypta neapolitana connecting modern-day Naples and Pozzuoli and the Grotta di Cocceio connecting Lake Avernus and Cumae...
(1st cent. BC and 1st cent. AD), Roman architect during the age of AugustusAugustusAugustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
(27 BC–14 AD) - Hyginus GromaticusHyginus GromaticusHyginus Gromaticus, was a Latin writer on land-surveying, who flourished in the reign of Trajan . Fragments of a work on legal boundaries attributed to him will be found in C. F. Lachmann, Gromatici Veteres, i...
(1st cent. and 2nd cent. AD), Roman surveyor under the reign of TrajanTrajanTrajan , was Roman Emperor from 98 to 117 AD. Born into a non-patrician family in the province of Hispania Baetica, in Spain Trajan rose to prominence during the reign of emperor Domitian. Serving as a legatus legionis in Hispania Tarraconensis, in Spain, in 89 Trajan supported the emperor against...
(98–117 AD) - Lucius Vitruvius CordoLucius Vitruvius CordoLucius Vitruvius Cordo was an ancient Roman architect active in Verona. His only known work is the Arco dei Gavi, a 1st century arch in the city, inscribed "Lucius Vitruvius Cerdo, a freedman of Lucius", which has led to Verona being suggested as the birthplace of the earlier and better-known...
(... – ...), Roman architect; best known for his work Arco dei GaviArco dei GaviThe Arco dei Gavi is an ancient structure in Verona, northern Italy. It was built by the gens Gavia, a noble Roman family who had their hometown in Verona, at the beginning of the Via Postumia, the Roman road leading to the city. During the Middle Ages it was used as a gate in the...
(built in the 1st century AD) - RabiriusRabirius (architect)Rabirius was an Ancient Roman architect who lived during the 1st and 2nd Century AD. His designs included the massive Flavian Palace, situated on the Palatine Hill at Rome, and the Alban Villa at present-day Castel Gandolfo, both erected on a commission by his patron, emperor Domitian.Domitian's...
(1st cent. and 2nd cent. AD), Roman architect active during the reign of DomitianDomitianDomitian was Roman Emperor from 81 to 96. Domitian was the third and last emperor of the Flavian dynasty.Domitian's youth and early career were largely spent in the shadow of his brother Titus, who gained military renown during the First Jewish-Roman War...
(81–96 AD) - VitruviusVitruviusMarcus Vitruvius Pollio was a Roman writer, architect and engineer, active in the 1st century BC. He is best known as the author of the multi-volume work De Architectura ....
(late 1st cent. BC and early 1st cent. AD), Roman writer, architect and engineer noted for his book De architecturaDe architectura' is a treatise on architecture written by the Roman architect Vitruvius and dedicated to his patron, the emperor Caesar Augustus, as a guide for building projects...
(25 BC); one of the most influential works on architecture in historyHistory of architectureThe history of architecture traces the changes in architecture through various traditions, regions, overarching stylistic trends, and dates.-Neolithic architecture:Neolithic architecture is the architecture of the Neolithic period...
Middle Ages
- Guglielmo AgnelliGuglielmo AgnelliFra. Guglielmo Agnelli was an Italian sculptor and architect, born in Pisa.- History :Agnelli was a pupil of Nicola Pisano, who had brought the art of sculpture to great perfection, modeled on Greek and Roman ideas, matured by the study of actual truth, and preserving only traditions of the...
(c.CircaCirca , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
1238–1313), sculptor and architect. He built the campanileCampanileCampanile is an Italian word meaning "bell tower" . The term applies to bell towers which are either part of a larger building or free-standing, although in American English, the latter meaning has become prevalent.The most famous campanile is probably the Leaning Tower of Pisa...
of the Abbey of Settimo, near FlorenceFlorenceFlorence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area.... - Pietro BaseggioPietro BaseggioPietro Baseggio was a fourteenth century architect and sculptor in Venice. In 1361, he was named superintendent of construction for the Doge's palace, and helped in construction along with Filippo Calendario.*John Ruskin. Stones of Venice....
(14th cent. – 14th cent.), architect and sculptor. In 1361, he was named superintendent of construction for the Doge's palace - Bartolomeo BonBartolomeo BonBartolomeo Bon was an Italian sculptor and architect from Campione d'Italia.Together with his father Giovanni, he worked in Venice: they finished the decoration of the famous Gothic Ca' d'Oro and the marble door of the Basilica di Santa Maria dei Frari...
(died after 1464), sculptor and architect. Among his works may be cited the famous GothicGothic architectureGothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
Ca' d'OroCa' d'OroCa' d'Oro is a palace on the Grand Canal in Venice, northern Italy. One of the older palazzi, it has always been known as Ca' d'Oro due to the gilt and polychrome external decorations which once adorned its walls.The Palazzo was built between 1428 and 1430 for the Contarini family, who provided...
(1424–1430) and the marble door of the church of Frari - Jacopo CelegaJacopo CelegaJacopo Celega was a fourteenth-century Italian architect. Little is known of Calegna's biography, but some of his work remains today. Around 1330 he took over construction of the Venetian church Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari – normally referred to only as the Frari – work...
(d. before 30 March 1386), architect. Around 1330 he took over construction of the church of Frari - DiotisalviDiotisalviDiotisalvi, Deotisalvi or Deustesalvet was an architect from Pisa, Italy, active in the 12th century in Pisa. Little is known of him.- Biography :...
(12th cent. – 12th cent.), architect. He is well known to be the original architect of Baptistry of Pisa (1152) - MaginardoMaginardoMaginardo , called Aretino, was an Italian architect active in the Diocese of Arezzo during the episcopates of Elempert , William , Adalbert , and Tedald , who called him arte architectonica optime erudito .Maginardo's career began in...
(fl.FloruitFloruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
1006–1032), architect active in the Diocese of Arezzo - Lorenzo MaitaniLorenzo MaitaniLorenzo Maitani was the Italian architect and sculptor primarily responsible for the construction and decoration of the façade of Orvieto Cathedral....
(c. 1275–1330), architect and sculptor primarily responsible for the construction and decoration of the facade of Orvieto Cathedral
Humanism and the Renaissance
- Leon Battista Alberti (1404–1472), artist, architect and theoretician. In 1452, wrote De Re AedificatoriaDe Re AedificatoriaDe re aedificatoria is a classic architectural treatise written by Leon Battista Alberti between 1443 and 1452. Although largely dependent on Vitruvius' De architectura, it was the first theoretical book on the subject written in the Italian Renaissance and in 1485 became the first printed book on...
; was the first architectural treatise of the RenaissanceRenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not... - Galeazzo AlessiGaleazzo AlessiGaleazzo Alessi was an Italian architect from Perugia, known throughout Europe for his distinctive style based on his enthusiasm for ancient architecture. He studied drawing for civil and military architecture under the direction of Giovanni Battista Caporali.For a number of years he lived in Genoa...
(1512–1572), architect. His main works are the church Santa Maria Assunta di Carignano (1552), the Marino Palace (started in 1557) and the Parodi Palace (1567) - Antonio da Sangallo the ElderAntonio da Sangallo the ElderAntonio da Sangallo the Elder was an Italian Renaissance architect who specialized in the design of fortifications.-Biography:Antonio da Sangallo was born at Florence....
(c. 1453–1534), architect. He executed, under the influence of Bramante, the magnificent Church of the Madonna di San Biagio (1518 – consecrated 1529) - Antonio da Sangallo the YoungerAntonio da Sangallo the Youngerthumb|250px|The church of Santa Maria di Loreto near the [[Trajan's Market]] in [[Rome]], considered Sangallo's masterwork.thumb|250px|View of St. Patrick's Well in [[Orvieto]]....
(1484–1546), architect. He designed the Palazzo Farnese in RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
(1534–46); a fortresslike Florentine-style palace - Donato BramanteDonato BramanteDonato Bramante was an Italian architect, who introduced the Early Renaissance style to Milan and the High Renaissance style to Rome, where his most famous design was St...
(1444–1514), architect. Under the patronage of Pope Julius IIPope Julius IIPope Julius II , nicknamed "The Fearsome Pope" and "The Warrior Pope" , born Giuliano della Rovere, was Pope from 1503 to 1513...
, he drew up the new St. Peter's BasilicaSt. Peter's BasilicaThe Papal Basilica of Saint Peter , officially known in Italian as ' and commonly known as Saint Peter's Basilica, is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. Saint Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world...
(begun 1506), generally considered his greatest work - Filippo BrunelleschiFilippo BrunelleschiFilippo Brunelleschi was one of the foremost architects and engineers of the Italian Renaissance. He is perhaps most famous for inventing linear perspective and designing the dome of the Florence Cathedral, but his accomplishments also included bronze artwork, architecture , mathematics,...
(1377–1446), architect. His major work is the dome of the Florence Cathedral (1420–36) - Bernardo BuontalentiBernardo BuontalentiBernardo Buontalenti, byname of Bernardo Delle Girandole was an Italian stage designer, architect, theatrical designer, military engineer and artist.-Biography:Buontalenti was born in Florence....
(c. 1531–1608), architect, engineer, designer, painter and inventor. He was one of the great RenaissanceRenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
polymathPolymathA polymath is a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas. In less formal terms, a polymath may simply be someone who is very knowledgeable...
s - Giacomo della PortaGiacomo della PortaGiacomo della Porta was an Italian architect and sculptor, who worked on many important buildings in Rome, including St. Peter's Basilica. He was born at Porlezza, Lombardy and died in Rome.-Biography:...
(c. 1533–1602), architect whose work represents the development in style from late MannerismMannerismMannerism is a period of European art that emerged from the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520. It lasted until about 1580 in Italy, when a more Baroque style began to replace it, but Northern Mannerism continued into the early 17th century throughout much of Europe...
to early BaroqueBaroqueThe Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music... - Giovanni Maria FalconettoGiovanni Maria FalconettoGiovanni Maria Falconetto was an Italian architect and artist. He designed the first fully Renaissance building in Padua, the Loggia Cornaro, a garden loggia for Alvise Cornaro built as a Roman doric arcade...
(1468–1535), architect and painter. Examples of his work include the Porta San Giovanni (1528) and the Porta Savonarola (1530), two gates to the city of PaduaPaduaPadua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having... - FilareteFilareteAntonio di Pietro Averlino , also "Averulino", known as Filarete was an Italian Renaissance architect, sculptor and architectural theorist from Florence. He is perhaps best remembered for his design of the ideal city of Sforzinda, the first ideal city plan of the Renaissance.-Biography:Antonio di...
(c. 1400 – c. 1469), architect, sculptor and writer. He wrote an important treatise, Libro architettonico (1464), defending the principles of ancient architecture - Domenico FontanaDomenico FontanaDomenico Fontana was a Swiss-born Italian architect of the late Renaissance.-Biography:200px|thumb|Fountain of Moses in Rome....
(1543–1607), architect who worked on St. Peter’s Basilica and other famous buildings of RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and NaplesNaplesNaples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples... - Giacomo Barozzi da VignolaGiacomo Barozzi da VignolaGiacomo Barozzi da Vignola was one of the great Italian architects of 16th century Mannerism. His two great masterpieces are the Villa Farnese at Caprarola and the Jesuits' Church of the Gesù in Rome...
(1507–1573), architect. His finest productions are the Villa FarneseVilla FarneseThe Villa Farnese, also known as Villa Caprarola, is a mansion in the town of Caprarola in the province of Viterbo, Northern Lazio, Italy, approximately 50 kilometres north-west of Rome...
, near ViterboViterboSee also Viterbo, Texas and Viterbo UniversityViterbo is an ancient city and comune in the Lazio region of central Italy, the capital of the province of Viterbo. It is approximately 80 driving / 80 walking kilometers north of GRA on the Via Cassia, and it is surrounded by the Monti Cimini and...
, for Cardinal Alessandro Farnese and Villa GiuliaVilla GiuliaThe Villa Giulia is a villa in Rome, Italy. It was built by Pope Julius III in 1550–1555 on what was then the edge of the city. Today it is publicly owned, and houses the Museo Nazionale Etrusco, an impressive collection of Etruscan art and artifacts....
for Pope Julius IIIPope Julius IIIPope Julius III , born Giovanni Maria Ciocchi del Monte, was Pope from 7 February 1550 to 1555....
in RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half... - Francesco di GiorgioFrancesco di GiorgioFrancesco di Giorgio Martini was an Italian painter of the Sienese School and a sculptor, as well as being, in Nikolaus Pevsner's terms, "one of the most interesting later Quattrocento architects'" and a visionary architectural theorist; as a military engineer he executed architectural designs and...
(1439–1502), architect and theoretician. His Trattato di architettura, ingegneria e arte militare (1482) is one of the most important documents of Renaissance architectural - Giuliano da MaianoGiuliano da MaianoGiuliano da Maiano was an Italian architect, intarsia-worker and sculptor, the elder brother of Benedetto da Maiano, with whom he often collaborated.- Biography :...
(c. 1432–1490), architect; one of the best of his generation. He made an important contribution to spreading the Renaissance style to Southern Italy - Giuliano da SangalloGiuliano da SangalloGiuliano da Sangallo was an Italian sculptor, architect and military engineer active during the Italian Renaissance.He was born in Florence. His father Francesco Giamberti was a woodworker and architect, much employed by Cosimo de Medici, and his brother Antonio da Sangallo the Elder and nephew...
(c. 1443–1516), sculptor, architect and military engineer; designed the ChurchChristian ChurchThe Christian Church is the assembly or association of followers of Jesus Christ. The Greek term ἐκκλησία that in its appearances in the New Testament is usually translated as "church" basically means "assembly"...
of Santa Maria delle CarceriSanta Maria delle Carcerithumb|280px|Santa Maria delle Carceri.Santa Maria delle Carceri is a basilica church in Prato, Tuscany, Italy. It is considered one of the earliest, most notable examples of use of Greek cross plan in Renaissance architecture.-History:...
(1485) at PratoPratoPrato is a city and comune in Tuscany, Italy, the capital of the Province of Prato. The city is situated at the foot of Monte Retaia , the last peak in the Calvana chain. The lowest altitude in the comune is 32 m, near the Cascine di Tavola, and the highest is the peak of Monte Cantagrillo...
and palaces in Florence - Luciano LauranaLuciano LauranaLuciano Laurana was a Croatian or Italian architect and engineer from the historic Vrana settlement near the town of Zadar in Dalmatia, Croatia. After education by his father Martin in Vrana settlement, he worked mostly in Italy during the late 15th century...
(c. 1420–1479), principal designer of the Palazzo DucalePalazzo Ducale, UrbinoThe Ducal Palace is a Renaissance building in the Italian city of Urbino in the Marche. One of the most important monuments in Italy, it is listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site.-History:...
at Urbino and one of the main figures in 15th-century Italian architecture - Pirro LigorioPirro LigorioPirro Ligorio was an Italian architect, painter, antiquarian and garden designer.-Biography:Ligorio was born in Naples. In 1534 he moved to Rome, where he developed his interest in antiquities, and was named superintendent to the ancient monuments by the Popes Pius IV and Paul IV...
(c. 1510–1583), architect, painter, antiquarian and garden designer. He is best known for his designs for the Casina of Pio IVCasina Pio IVThe Casina Pio IV is a patrician villa in Vatican City which is now home to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas. The predecessor of the present complex structure was begun in the spring of 1558 by Pope Paul...
in the VaticanVatican CityVatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
and his gardens for the Villa d'EsteVilla d'EsteThe Villa d'Este is a villa situated at Tivoli, near Rome, Italy. Listed as a UNESCO world heritage site, it is a fine example of Renaissance architecture and the Italian Renaissance garden.-History:...
at TivoliTivoli, ItalyTivoli , the classical Tibur, is an ancient Italian town in Lazio, about 30 km east-north-east of Rome, at the falls of the Aniene river where it issues from the Sabine hills... - MichelozzoMichelozzothumb|250px|[[Palazzo Medici]] in Florence.Michelozzo di Bartolomeo Michelozzi was an Italian architect and sculptor.-Biography:...
(1396–1472), architect and sculptor; designed the Palazzo Medici RiccardiPalazzo Medici RiccardiThe Palazzo Medici, also called the Palazzo Medici Riccardi after the later family that acquired and expanded it, is a Renaissance palace located in Florence, Italy.-History:...
in FlorenceFlorenceFlorence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, which set the standard for Renaissance palace architecture in TuscanyTuscanyTuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
for the next century - Andrea PalladioAndrea PalladioAndrea Palladio was an architect active in the Republic of Venice. Palladio, influenced by Roman and Greek architecture, primarily by Vitruvius, is widely considered the most influential individual in the history of Western architecture...
(1508–1580), architect and theoretician. His treatise I quattro libri dell’architettura (1570) made him the most influential person in the history of Western architectureHistory of architectureThe history of architecture traces the changes in architecture through various traditions, regions, overarching stylistic trends, and dates.-Neolithic architecture:Neolithic architecture is the architecture of the Neolithic period... - Baldassare PeruzziBaldassare PeruzziBaldassare Tommaso Peruzzi was an Italian architect and painter, born in a small town near Siena and died in Rome. He worked for many years, beginning in 1520, under Bramante, Raphael, and later Sangallo during the erection of the new St. Peter's...
(1481–1536), architect and painter. His outstanding architectural works are the Villa FarnesinaVilla FarnesinaThe Villa Farnesina is a Renaissance suburban villa in the Via della Lungara, in the district of Trastevere in Rome, central Italy.The villa was built for Agostino Chigi, a rich Sienese banker and the treasurer of Pope Julius II. Between 1506–1510, the Sienese artist and pupil of Bramante,...
(1506–1510) and the Palazzo Massimo alle ColonnePalazzo Massimo alle ColonneThe Palazzo Massimo alle Colonne is a Renaissance palace in Rome, Italy. The palace was designed by Baldassarre Peruzzi in 1532-1536 on a site of three contiguous palaces owned by the old Roman Massimo family and built after arson destroyed the earlier structures during the Sack of Rome...
(1535) in RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half... - Michele Sanmicheli (1484–1559), architect, especially noted for his original treatment of militaryMilitaryA military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
fortificationFortificationFortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defence in warfare and military bases. Humans have constructed defensive works for many thousands of years, in a variety of increasingly complex designs...
s - Jacopo SansovinoJacopo SansovinoJacopo d'Antonio Sansovino was an Italian sculptor and architect, known best for his works around the Piazza San Marco in Venice. Andrea Palladio, in the Preface to his Quattro Libri was of the opinion that Sansovino's Biblioteca Marciana was the best building erected since Antiquity...
(1486–1570), sculptor and architect. His Library of St. Mark's (begun 1537) is one of the major architectural works of the 16th century - Vincenzo ScamozziVincenzo Scamozzithumb|250px|Portrait of Vincenzo Scamozzi by [[Paolo Veronese]]Vincenzo Scamozzi was a Venetian architect and a writer on architecture, active mainly in Vicenza and Republic of Venice area in the second half of the 16th century...
(1552–1616), architect and theoretician, author of one of the most comprehensive RenaissanceRenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
treatises, the six-volume L’Idea dell’Architettura Universale (1615) - Sebastiano SerlioSebastiano SerlioSebastiano Serlio was an Italian Mannerist architect, who was part of the Italian team building the Palace of Fontainebleau...
(1475–1554), architect and theoretician. He is remembered primarily for his treatise Tutte l’opere d’architettura, et prospetiva (eight books, 1537–75)
Baroque
- Francesco BorrominiFrancesco BorrominiFrancesco Borromini, byname of Francesco Castelli was an architect from Ticino who, with his contemporaries, Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Pietro da Cortona, was a leading figure in the emergence of Roman Baroque architecture.A keen student of the architecture of Michelangelo and the ruins of...
(1599–1667), architect. His buildings include the churches of San Carlo alle Quattro FontaneSan Carlo alle Quattro FontaneThe Church of Saint Charles at the Four Fountains is a Roman Catholic church in Rome, Italy. Designed by the architect Francesco Borromini, it was his first independent commission. It is an iconic masterpiece of Baroque architecture, built as part of a complex of monastic buildings on the Quirinal...
(1638–1641) and Sant'Ivo alla SapienzaSant'Ivo alla SapienzaThe Church of Saint Yves at La Sapienza is a Roman Catholic church in Rome. The church is considered a masterpiece of Roman Baroque church architecture, built in 1642-1660 by the architect Francesco Borromini.- History :...
(1642–1660) - Cosimo FanzagoCosimo FanzagoCosimo Fanzago was an Italian architect and sculptor, generally considered the greatest such artist of the Baroque period in Naples, Italy.-Biography:...
(1591–1678), architect and sculptor. He became the most important exponent of Baroque architecture in NaplesNaplesNaples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples... - Carlo FontanaCarlo FontanaCarlo Fontana was an Italian architect, who was in part responsible for the classicizing direction taken by Late Baroque Roman architecture.-Biography:...
(1634/1638–1714), architect. His accomplished academic style influenced important architects, such as James GibbsJames GibbsJames Gibbs was one of Britain's most influential architects. Born in Scotland, he trained as an architect in Rome, and practised mainly in England...
, Fischer von ErlachJohann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach----Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, born Johann Bernhard Fischer was probably the most influential Austrian architect of the Baroque period....
and the German baroque architects - Rosario GagliardiRosario GagliardiRosario Gagliardi was a Sicilian architect born in Syracuse. He was one of the leading architects working in the Sicilian Baroque. In spite of never leaving Sicily his work showed great understanding of the style, but was a progression from the style of baroque as deployed by Bernini...
(1698–1762), architect. He was one of the leading architects working in the Sicilian BaroqueSicilian BaroqueSicilian Baroque is the distinctive form of Baroque architecture that took hold on the island of Sicily, off the southern coast of Italy, in the 17th and 18th centuries... - Guarino Guarini (1624–1683), architect. He was one of the first to analyze with perceptivity the structure of medieval architecture, in his treatise Architettura Civile (published posthumously in 1737)
- Filippo JuvarraFilippo JuvarraFilippo Juvarra was an Italian architect and stage set designer.-Biography:Filippo Juvarra was an Italian Baroque architect working in the early part of the eighteenth century. He was born in Messina, Sicily, to a family of goldsmiths and engravers...
(1678–1736), architect, draughtsman and designer. He was arguably the most gifted architect of his time in ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... - Baldassarre LonghenaBaldassarre Longhenathumb|250px|Tower of the church [[Santa Maria del Soccorso]], [[Rovigo]].Baldassarre Longhena was an Italian architect, who worked mainly in Venice, where he was one of the greatest exponents of Baroque architecture of the period....
(1598–1682), architect. His masterpiece was the Church of Santa Maria della Salute (1631–1687) at the entrance to the Grand Canal in VeniceVeniceVenice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region... - Carlo MadernoCarlo MadernoCarlo Maderno was a Swiss-Italian architect, born in Ticino, who is remembered as one of the fathers of Baroque architecture. His façades of Santa Susanna, St. Peter's Basilica and Sant'Andrea della Valle were of key importance in the evolution of the Italian Baroque...
(1556–1629), architect. His works reflect the transition from early to high baroque. From 1603, directed the construction of St. Peter's BasilicaSt. Peter's BasilicaThe Papal Basilica of Saint Peter , officially known in Italian as ' and commonly known as Saint Peter's Basilica, is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. Saint Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world... - Pietro da CortonaPietro da CortonaPietro da Cortona, by the name of Pietro Berrettini, born Pietro Berrettini da Cortona, was the leading Italian Baroque painter of his time and also one of the key architects in the emergence of Roman Baroque architecture. He was also an important decorator...
(1596–1669), architect, painter and decorator. His greatest architectural accomplishment is the Church of Santi Luca e MartinaSanti Luca e MartinaSanti Luca e Martina is a church in Rome, Italy, situated between the Roman Forum and the Forum of Caesar and close to the Arch of Septimus Severus.-History:...
in RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
(1634) - Carlo RainaldiCarlo RainaldiCarlo Rainaldi was an Italian architect of the Baroque period.Born in Rome, Rainaldi was one of the leading architects of 17th century Rome, known for a certain grandeur in his designs. He worked at first with his father, Girolamo Rainaldi, a late Mannerist architect in Rome. After his father's...
(1611–1691), architect. His masterpiece was the Church of Santa Maria in CampitelliSanta Maria in CampitelliSanta Maria in Campitelli or Santa Maria in Portico is a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary on the Piazza di Campitelli, Rome, Italy....
(1663–67) - Francesco Bartolomeo RastrelliFrancesco Bartolomeo RastrelliFrancesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli was an Italian architect naturalized Russian. He developed an easily recognizable style of Late Baroque, both sumptuous and majestic...
(1700–1771), architect who defined the high baroque style in Russia under the reigns of AnnaAnna of RussiaAnna of Russia or Anna Ivanovna reigned as Duchess of Courland from 1711 to 1730 and as Empress of Russia from 1730 to 1740.-Accession to the throne:Anna was the daughter of Ivan V of Russia, as well as the niece of Peter the Great...
(1730–1740) and Elizabeth Petrovna (1741–1762) - Nicola SalviNicola SalviNicola Salvi or Niccolò Salvi was an Italian architect most famous for the Trevi Fountain in Rome, where he was born and died. His work is in the late Roman Baroque style. In addition to the Trevi Fountain, Salvi did minor works such as churches and the enlargement of the Odescalchi Palace with...
(1697–1751), architect whose late Roman Baroque masterpiece is the Trevi FountainTrevi FountainThe Trevi Fountain is a fountain in the Trevi rione in Rome, Italy. Standing 26 metres high and 20 metres wide, it is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most famous fountains in the world....
in RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half... - Giovanni Battista VaccariniGiovanni Battista VaccariniGiovanni Battista Vaccarini was an Italian architect, notable for his work in the Sicilian Baroque style in his homeland during the period of massive rebuilding following the earthquake of 1693. Many of his principal works can be found in the area in and around Catania.- Biography :Vaccarini was...
(1702–1768), architect, notable for his work in the Sicilian Baroque style - Luigi VanvitelliLuigi VanvitelliLuigi Vanvitelli was an Italian engineer and architect. The most prominent 18th-century architect of Italy, he practiced a sober classicizing academic Late Baroque style that made an easy transition to Neoclassicism.-Biography:Vanvitelli was born at Naples, the son of a Dutch painter of land and...
(1700–1773), architect, one of the greatest of his time. His masterpiece was the Palace of Caserta (1752–74)
Neoclassicism
- Nicola BettoliNicola BettoliNicola or Niccolò Bettoli was an Italian architect. Born in Parma, he is best known as the designer of the Neoclassicist Teatro Regio of that city, for Duches Marie Louise ....
(1780–1854), architect. He is best known as the designer of the Neoclassicist Teatro Regio of that city, for Duches Marie LouiseMarie Louise, Duchess of ParmaMarie Louise of Austria was the second wife of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French and later Duchess of Parma...
(1821) - Luigi CagnolaLuigi CagnolaMarchese Luigi Cagnola was an Italian architect.Cagnola was born in Milan. He was sent at the age of fourteen to the Clementine College at Rome, and afterwards studied at the University of Pavia...
(1762–1833), architect, whose work influenced later generations of Italian architects - Luigi CaninaLuigi CaninaLuigi Canina was an Italian archaeologist and architect.Luigi Canina, Italian architect and archeologist, was born in Casale Monferrato in 1795 and died in Florence in 1856. He was a pupil of F. Bonsignore in Turin, and settled in Rome in 1818...
(1795–1856), archaeologist and architect. He was important as a protagonist of archaeologically correct Neoclassicism in RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half... - Antonio CorazziAntonio CorazziAntonio Corazzi was an Italian architect who designed a number of buildings in Warsaw, the capital of Poland.He was born in Livorno.Amongst the buildings he designed are:* Staszic Palace...
(1792–1877), architect. He designed a number of imposing public buildings in WarsawWarsawWarsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, the capital of PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north... - Alessandro Galilei (1691–1737), architect. He designed the façades of Basilica of St. John LateranBasilica of St. John LateranThe Papal Archbasilica of St. John Lateran , commonly known as St. John Lateran's Archbasilica and St. John Lateran's Basilica, is the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome and the official ecclesiastical seat of the Bishop of Rome, who is the Pope...
(1733–35) and San Giovanni dei FiorentiniSan Giovanni dei FiorentiniSan Giovanni dei Fiorentini, St John of the Florentines, is a church in the Ponte rione or district of Rome. Dedicated to St John the Baptist, the protector of Florence, the new church for the Florentine community in Rome was started in the 16th century and completed in early eighteenth and is the...
(1734) - Giacomo LeoniGiacomo LeoniGiacomo Leoni , also known as James Leoni, was an Italian architect, born in Venice. He was a devotee of the work of Florentine Renaissance architect Leon Battista Alberti, who had also been an inspiration for Andrea Palladio. Leoni thus served as a prominent exponent of Palladianism in English...
(1686–1746), architect, he spent most of his life in EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is arguable that he was more influenced by than influencing British architecture - Giuseppe Venanzio MarvugliaGiuseppe Venanzio MarvugliaGiuseppe Venanzio Marvuglia was an Italian architect.He received his first training in his native Palermo. This was followed by a period in Rome from 1747 to 1759...
(1729–1814), architect. His most extraordinary building is La Favorita (CasinaPavilion (structure)In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
Cinese 1799–1802) - Giovanni Battista PiranesiGiovanni Battista PiranesiGiovanni Battista Piranesi was an Italian artist famous for his etchings of Rome and of fictitious and atmospheric "prisons" .-His Life:...
(1720–1778), engraver and architect, best known for his grandiose architectural constructions - Giacomo QuarenghiGiacomo QuarenghiGiacomo Quarenghi was the foremost and most prolific practitioner of Palladian architecture in Imperial Russia, particularly in Saint Petersburg.- Career in Italy :...
(1744–1817), architect and painter, best known as the builder of numerous works in Russia during and immediately after the reign of Catherine II the Great - Carlo RossiCarlo Rossi (architect)Carlo di Giovanni Rossi, was an Italian architect, who worked the major portion of his life in Russia. He was the author of many classical buildings and architectural ensembles in Saint Petersburg and its environments...
(1775–1849), architect, who worked the major portion of his life in RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects... - Francesco SabatiniFrancesco SabatiniFrancesco Sabatini , also known as Francisco Sabatini, was an Italian architect of the 18th century who worked in Spain.-Biography:Born in Palermo, he studied architecture in Rome...
(1722–1797), architect, who worked in SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... - Giuseppe ValadierGiuseppe ValadierGiuseppe Valadier was an Italian architect and designer, urban planner and archeologist, a chief exponent of Neoclassicism in Italy.-Biography:...
(1762–1839), architect, urban planner, designer and writer. He was one of the most important exponents of international Neoclassicism in central ItalyCentral ItalyCentral Italy is one of the five official statistical regions of Italy used by the National Institute of Statistics , a first level NUTS region and a European Parliament constituency...
The 1900s
- Franco AlbiniFranco AlbiniFranco Albini was an Italian Neo-Rationalist architect and designer.A native of Robbiate, near Milan, Albini obtained his degree in architecture at Politecnico di Milano University in 1929 and began his professional career working for Gio Ponti. He started displaying his works at...
(1905–1977), architect, urban planner and designer. His work was various and eclecticEclecticismEclecticism is a conceptual approach that does not hold rigidly to a single paradigm or set of assumptions, but instead draws upon multiple theories, styles, or ideas to gain complementary insights into a subject, or applies different theories in particular cases.It can sometimes seem inelegant or...
, and reflected the independence of Italian designs from the tyrannies of Modernist orthodoxy - Ernesto BasileErnesto BasileErnesto Basile was an Italian architect and an exponent of modernism and Art Nouveau. He became well-known because of his stylistic fusion of ancient, medieval and modern elements. He was one of the pioneers of Art Nouveau in Italy.- Life :He was born on January 31, 1857 in Palermo...
(1857–1932), architect, teacher and designer. An exponent of modernismModernismModernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, or practice. More specifically, the term describes the modernist movement, its set of cultural tendencies and array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society...
and Art NouveauArt NouveauArt Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"... - Achille CastiglioniAchille CastiglioniAchille Castiglioni was a renowned Italian industrial designer. He was often inspired by everyday things and made use of ordinary materials...
(1918–2002), architect and designer. He won the Compasso d'OroCompasso d'OroCompasso d'Oro is the name of an Industrial Design award originated in Italy in 1954 by the La Rinascente company from an original idea of Gio Ponti and Alberto Rosselli. From 1964 it has been hosted exclusively by Associazione per il Disegno Industriale . It is the first and most recognized award...
, Italy’s top prize for industrial design, nine times - Giancarlo De CarloGiancarlo De CarloGiancarlo De Carlo was an Italian architect.He was born in Genoa, Liguria in 1919. He trained as an architect from 1942 to 1949, a time of political turmoil which generated his philosophy toward life and architecture...
(1919–2005), architect, member of CIAMCongrès International d'Architecture ModerneThe Congrès internationaux d'architecture moderne – CIAM was an organization founded in 1928 and disbanded in 1959, responsible for a series of events and congresses arranged around the world by the most prominent architects of the time, with the objective of spreading the principles of the Modern...
and Team 10. He is best known for his works at the Free University of UrbinoUniversity of UrbinoThe University of Urbino "Carlo Bo" is an Italian university located in Urbino, a walled hill-town in the region of Marche, located in the north-eastern part of central Italy. The university was founded in 1506, and currently has about 20,000 students, many of whom are from overseas...
(1973–9 and later) - Adalberto LiberaAdalberto LiberaAdalberto Libera is one of the most representative architects of the Italian Modern movement, which should not be confused with the Italian Rationalist movement, with which he only had a short-lived relationship....
(1903–1963), architect. One of the most representative architects of the Italian Modern movement - Alessandro MendiniAlessandro MendiniAlessandro Mendini is an Italian designer and architect. He played an important part in the development of Italian design. He also worked, aside from his artistic career, for Casabella, Modo and Domus magazines....
(born 1931), designer and architect. His work is represented in museums and private collections all over the world. He won the Compasso d'OroCompasso d'OroCompasso d'Oro is the name of an Industrial Design award originated in Italy in 1954 by the La Rinascente company from an original idea of Gio Ponti and Alberto Rosselli. From 1964 it has been hosted exclusively by Associazione per il Disegno Industriale . It is the first and most recognized award...
(1979 and 1982) - Giovanni MichelucciGiovanni MichelucciGiovanni Michelucci was an Italian architect, urban planner and engraver. He was one of the major Italian architects of the 20th century, known for notable projects such as the Firenze Santa Maria Novella railway station and the San Giovanni Battista church on the Autostrada del Sole....
(1891–1990), architect, urban planner and engraver. A key figure in the progress and advancement of contemporary Italian architecture during the 20th century - Luigi MorettiLuigi MorettiLuigi Walter Moretti was an Italian architect.- Education and academic career :He was born in via Napoleone III, on the Esquiline Hill, in the same apartment where he lived almost his entire life...
(1907–1973), architect. One of the most important Italian architects of the 20th century - Giovanni MuzioGiovanni MuzioGiovanni Muzio was an Italian architect. Muzio was born and died in Milan and is most closely associated with the Novecento Italiano group....
(1893–1982), architect. He was the most influential member of the group of Italian architects associated with the Novecento ItalianoNovecento ItalianoNovecento Italiano was an Italian artistic movement founded in Milan in 1922 by Anselmo Bucci , Leonardo Dudreville , Achille Funi, Gian Emilio Malerba , Piero Marussig, Ubaldo Oppi and Mario Sironi... - Pier Luigi NerviPier Luigi NerviPier Luigi Nervi was an Italian engineer. He studied at the University of Bologna and qualified in 1913. Dr. Nervi taught as a professor of engineering at Rome University from 1946-61...
(1891–1979), architect, engineer and builder. One of the most inventive exploiters of reinforced concreteReinforced concreteReinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
construction of the 20th century - Marcello PiacentiniMarcello PiacentiniMarcello Piacentini was an Italian architect and urban theorist.-Biography:Born in Rome, he was the son of architect Pio Piacentini...
(1881–1960), architect and urban theorist most closely associated with Italy's fascist government - Renzo PianoRenzo PianoRenzo Piano is an Italian architect. He is the recipient of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, AIA Gold Medal, Kyoto Prize and the Sonning Prize...
(born 1937), architect best known for his design (with Richard RogersRichard RogersRichard George Rogers, Baron Rogers of Riverside CH Kt FRIBA FCSD is a British architect noted for his modernist and functionalist designs....
) for the Centre Georges PompidouCentre Georges PompidouCentre Georges Pompidou is a complex in the Beaubourg area of the 4th arrondissement of Paris, near Les Halles, rue Montorgueil and the Marais...
(1971–1977) in ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
awarded by Pritzker PrizePritzker PrizeThe Pritzker Architecture Prize is awarded annually by the Hyatt Foundation to honour "a living architect whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built...
expecially foe the tecnology - Giò PontiGiò PontiGio Ponti was one of the most important Italian architects, industrial designers, furniture designers, artists, and publishers of the twentieth century.-Early life:...
(1891–1979), architect and designer associated with the development of modern architectureModern architectureModern architecture is generally characterized by simplification of form and creation of ornament from the structure and theme of the building. It is a term applied to an overarching movement, with its exact definition and scope varying widely...
and modern industrial designIndustrial designIndustrial design is the use of a combination of applied art and applied science to improve the aesthetics, ergonomics, and usability of a product, but it may also be used to improve the product's marketability and production...
in ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... - Paolo PortoghesiPaolo PortoghesiPaolo Portoghesi is an Italian architect, theorist, historian and professor of architecture at the University La Sapienza in Rome...
(born 1931), architect and architectural historian. He became known as the creator of the original and significant Casa Baldi (1959) on the Via FlaminiaVia FlaminiaThe Via Flaminia was an ancient Roman road leading from Rome over the Apennine Mountains to Ariminum on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, and due to the ruggedness of the mountains was the major option the Romans had for travel between Etruria, Latium and Campania and the Po Valley...
, north of RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half... - Aldo RossiAldo RossiAldo Rossi was an Italian architect and designer who accomplished the unusual feat of achieving international recognition in four distinct areas: theory, drawing, architecture and product design.-Early life:...
(1931–1997), architect and theoretician. His book The Architecture of the CityThe Architecture of the CityThe Architecture of the City is a seminal book of urban design theory by the Italian architect Aldo Rossi published in 1966. The book marks the shift from the urban doctrines of modernism to a rediscovery of the traditional European city....
(1966) is a classic of modern architectural theoryArchitectural theoryArchitectural theory is the act of thinking, discussing, or most importantly writing about architecture. Architectural theory is taught in most architecture schools and is practiced by the world's leading architects. Some forms that architecture theory takes are the lecture or dialogue, the...
. He was awarded the 1990 Pritzker PrizePritzker PrizeThe Pritzker Architecture Prize is awarded annually by the Hyatt Foundation to honour "a living architect whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built... - Giuseppe SamonàGiuseppe SamonàGiuseppe Samonà was an Italian architect and urban planner, whose notable works include the post office in the Appio quarter of Rome , the Banca d'Italia in Padua and a theatre in Sciacca, Sicily ....
(1898–1983), architect and urban planner. One of the most important Italian architects of the 20th century - Antonio Sant'EliaAntonio Sant'EliaAntonio Sant'Elia was an extremely influential Italian architect.-Life:Antonio Sant'Elia was born in Como, Lombardy. A builder by training, he opened a design office in Milan in 1912 and became involved with the Futurist movement...
(1888–1916), architect. Associated with the movement known as FuturismFuturismFuturism was an artistic and social movement that originated in Italy in the early 20th century.Futurism or futurist may refer to:* Afrofuturism, an African-American and African diaspora subculture* Cubo-Futurism* Ego-Futurism...
; notable for his visionary drawings of the city of the future - Carlo ScarpaCarlo ScarpaCarlo Scarpa , was an Italian architect, influenced by the materials, landscape, and the history of Venetian culture, and Japan. Scarpa was also a glass and furniture designer of note....
(1906–1978), architect. Among his works may be cited the Palazzo FoscariPalazzo FoscariCa' Foscari, the palace of the Foscari family, is a Gothic building on the waterfront of the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. Built by the doge Francesco Foscari in 1453, is now the main seat of Ca' Foscari University of Venice....
(1935–1956) and Castelvecchio MuseumCastelvecchio MuseumCastelvecchio Museum is a museum in Verona, northern Italy, located in the eponymous medieval castle. Restoration by the architect Carlo Scarpa, between 1959 and 1973, has enhanced the appearance of the building and exhibits...
(1956–1964) - Ettore SottsassEttore SottsassEttore Sottsass was an Italian architect and designer of the late 20th century. His body of designs included furniture, jewellery, glass, lighting and office machine design.-Early career:...
(1917–2007), architect and designer. He is internationally known as one of the initiators of the renewal of design and architecture - Manfredo TafuriManfredo TafuriManfredo Tafuri , an Italian architect, historian, theoretician, critic and academic, was arguably the world's most important architectural historian of the past fifty years...
(1935–1994), architect, art historian and theorist. Known for his critical essays for OppositionsOppositionsOppositions was an architectural journal produced by the Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies from 1973 to 1984. Many of its articles contributed to architectural theory and many of its contributors became distinguished members in the architectural field.Contributors included: Diana Agrest,...
magazine (1970), published under the guidance of Peter EisenmanPeter EisenmanPeter Eisenman is an American architect. Eisenman's professional work is often referred to as formalist, deconstructive, late avant-garde, late or high modernist, etc... - Giuseppe TerragniGiuseppe TerragniGiuseppe Terragni was an Italian architect who worked primarily under the fascist regime of Benito Mussolini and pioneered the Italian modern movement under the rubric of Rationalism...
(1904–1943), architect. He was primarily associated with RationalismRationalism (architecture)The intellectual principles of rationalism are based on architectural theory. Vitruvius had already established in his work De Architectura that architecture is a science that can be comprehended rationally. This formulation was taken up and further developed in the architectural treatises of the...
and Gruppo 7Gruppo 7Gruppo 7 was a group of Italian architects who wanted to reform architecture by the adoption of rationalism. It was formed in 1926 by Luigi Figini, Guido Frette, Sebastiano Larco, Giuseppe Pagano, Gino Pollini, Carlo Enrico Rava, Giuseppe Terragni and Ubaldo Castagnola, replaced the following year...
. His Casa del FascioCasa del Fascio (Como)The Casa del Fascio is a building located in Como, northern Italy, a work of Italian rationalist architect Giuseppe Terragni.Started in 1932 and completed in 1936 under the regime of Benito Mussolini, this municipal administration building was originally constructed with a primary view of...
(1932–6) is regarded as his finest work
Middle Ages
- Johannes CiconiaJohannes CiconiaJohannes Ciconia was a late medieval composer and music theorist who worked most of his adult life in Italy, particularly in the service of the Papal Chapels and at the cathedral of Padua....
(c.CircaCirca , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
1370–1412), composer and theorist. His open melodic style, clarity of texture, and "modern" sense of harmonic direction make him an attractive and accessible composer - Gherardello da FirenzeGherardello da FirenzeGherardello da Firenze was an Italian composer of the Trecento...
(c. 1320/1325–1362/1363), composer. He was known for his liturgical compositions but only two mass movements have survived - Guido of ArezzoGuido of ArezzoGuido of Arezzo or Guido Aretinus or Guido da Arezzo or Guido Monaco or Guido d'Arezzo was a music theorist of the Medieval era...
(c. 990–1050), music theorist whose principles served as a foundation for modern Western musical notationMusical notationMusic notation or musical notation is any system that represents aurally perceived music, through the use of written symbols.-History:... - Jacopo da BolognaJacopo da BolognaJacopo da Bologna was an Italian composer of the Trecento, the period sometimes known as the Italian ars nova. He was one of the first composers of this group, making him a contemporary of Gherardello da Firenze and Giovanni da Firenze...
(fl.FloruitFloruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
1340–1360), court composer during the TrecentoTrecentoThe Trecento refers to the 14th century in Italian cultural history.Commonly the Trecento is considered to be the beginning of the Renaissance in art history...
and one of the earliest composers of polyphonic secular songs - Francesco LandiniFrancesco LandiniFrancesco degli Organi, Francesco il Cieco, or Francesco da Firenze, called by later generations Francesco Landini or Landino was an Italian composer, organist, singer, poet and instrument maker...
(c. 1325/1335–1397), composer, organist and poet. Celebrated in his own day as a master of the Italian ars novaMusic of the trecentoThe Trecento was a period of vigorous activity in Italy in the arts, including painting, architecture, literature, and music. The music of the Trecento paralleled the achievements in the other arts in many ways, for example, in pioneering new forms of expression, especially in secular song in the...
style, among his works are madrigals, cacce, and ballate - Marchetto da PadovaMarchetto da PadovaMarchetto da Padova was an Italian music theorist and composer of the late medieval era. His innovations in notation of time-values were fundamental to the music of the Italian ars nova, as was his work on defining the modes and refining tuning...
(fl. 1305–1319), music theorist and composer. He lived at CesenaCesenaCesena is a city and comune in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, south of Ravenna and west of Rimini, on the Savio River, co-chief of the Province of Forlì-Cesena. It is at the foot of the Apennines, and about 15 km from the Adriatic Sea.-History:Cesena was originally an Umbrian...
and VeronaVeronaVerona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
at some time and was in the service of RainierRainier I of Monaco, Lord of CagnesRainier I of Monaco was the first sovereign Grimaldi ruler of the area now known as Monaco. He also held the title of Lord of Cagnes...
, Prince of MonacoPrince of MonacoThe Reigning Prince or Princess of Monaco is the sovereign monarch and head of state of the Principality of Monaco. All Princes or Princesses thus far have taken the name of the House of Grimaldi, but have belonged to various other houses in male line...
Renaissance
- Giovanni AnimucciaGiovanni AnimucciaGiovanni Animuccia was an Italian composer of the Renaissance and was involved in the heart of Rome’s liturgical musical life, and one of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina's most important contemporaries...
(c. 1500–1571), composer who contributed to the development of the oratorioOratorioAn oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists. Like an opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias... - Adriano BanchieriAdriano BanchieriAdriano Banchieri was an Italian composer, music theorist, organist and poet of the late Renaissance and early Baroque eras. He founded the Accademia dei Floridi in Bologna.-Biography:...
(1568–1634), one of the principal composers of madrigal comediesMadrigal comedyMadrigal comedy is a term for a kind of entertainment music of the late 16th century in Italy, in which groups of related, generally a cappella madrigals were sung consecutively, generally telling a story, and sometimes having a loose dramatic plot. It is an important element in the origins of opera...
and choral pieces - Giulio CacciniGiulio CacciniGiulio Caccini , also known as Giulio Romano, was an Italian composer, teacher, singer, instrumentalist and writer of the very late Renaissance and early Baroque eras. He was one of the founders of the genre of opera, and one of the single most influential creators of the new Baroque style...
(1551–1618), composer and singer; Le nuove musicheLe nuove musicheLe nuove musiche is a collection of monodies and songs for solo voice and basso continuo by the composer Giulio Caccini, published in Florence in July 1602. It is one of the earliest and most significant examples of music written in the early baroque style of the seconda pratica...
(1602), a collection of songs with basso continuo, was of landmark importance in establishing the new monodic style - Francesco Canova da MilanoFrancesco Canova da MilanoFrancesco Canova da Milano was an Italian lutenist and composer. He was born in Monza, near Milan, and worked for the papal court for almost all of his career. Francesco was heralded throughout Europe as the foremost lute composer of his time...
(1497–1543), lutenist and composer. Known as Il divino ("the divine"), he was the finest composer of lute musicLute songThe lute song was a generic form of music in the late Renaissance and very early Baroque eras, generally consisting of a singer accompanying himself on a lute, though lute songs may often have been performed by a singer and a separate lutenist...
before John DowlandJohn DowlandJohn Dowland was an English Renaissance composer, singer, and lutenist. He is best known today for his melancholy songs such as "Come, heavy sleep" , "Come again", "Flow my tears", "I saw my Lady weepe" and "In darkness let me dwell", but his instrumental music has undergone a major revival, and has... - Emilio de' CavalieriEmilio de' CavalieriEmilio de' Cavalieri was an Italian composer, producer, organist, diplomat, choreographer and dancer at the end of the Renaissance era. His work, along with that of other composers active in Rome, Florence and Venice, was critical in defining the beginning of the musical Baroque era...
(1550–1602), composer. One of the earliest to compose dramatic music - Andrea GabrieliAndrea GabrieliAndrea Gabrieli was an Italian composer and organist of the late Renaissance. The uncle of the somewhat more famous Giovanni Gabrieli, he was the first internationally renowned member of the Venetian School of composers, and was extremely influential in spreading the Venetian style in Italy as...
(1532/33–1585), composer and organist, known for his madrigals and his large-scale choral and instrumental music for public ceremonies - Giovanni GabrieliGiovanni GabrieliGiovanni Gabrieli was an Italian composer and organist. He was one of the most influential musicians of his time, and represents the culmination of the style of the Venetian School, at the time of the shift from Renaissance to Baroque idioms.-Biography:Gabrieli was born in Venice...
(c. 1554/1557–1612), composer and organist. He was one of the most influential musicianMusicianA musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
s of his time - Carlo GesualdoCarlo GesualdoCarlo Gesualdo, known as Gesualdo di Venosa or Gesualdo da Venosa , Prince of Venosa and Count of Conza, was an Italian nobleman, lutenist, composer, and murderer....
(1566–1613), composer and lutist. He is famous for his intensely expressive madrigalsMadrigal (music)A madrigal is a secular vocal music composition, usually a partsong, of the Renaissance and early Baroque eras. Traditionally, polyphonic madrigals are unaccompanied; the number of voices varies from two to eight, and most frequently from three to six....
, which use a chromaticChromaticismChromaticism is a compositional technique interspersing the primary diatonic pitches and chords with other pitches of the chromatic scale. Chromaticism is in contrast or addition to tonality or diatonicism...
language not heard of until the 19th century - Giovanni Pierluigi da PalestrinaGiovanni Pierluigi da PalestrinaGiovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina was an Italian Renaissance composer of sacred music and the best-known 16th-century representative of the Roman School of musical composition...
(1525/1526–1594), one of the greatest masters of Renaissance musicRenaissance musicRenaissance music is European music written during the Renaissance. Defining the beginning of the musical era is difficult, given that its defining characteristics were adopted only gradually; musicologists have placed its beginnings from as early as 1300 to as late as the 1470s.Literally meaning...
and the foremost composer of the Roman SchoolRoman SchoolIn music history, the Roman School was a group of composers of predominantly church music, in Rome, during the 16th and 17th centuries, therefore spanning the late Renaissance and early Baroque eras. The term also refers to the music they produced... - Luzzasco LuzzaschiLuzzasco LuzzaschiLuzzasco Luzzaschi was an Italian composer, organist, and teacher of the late Renaissance. He was born and died in Ferrara, and despite evidence of travels to Rome it is assumed that Luzzaschi spent the majority of his life in his native city.As a pupil of Cipriano de Rore, Luzzaschi developed...
(c. 1545–1607), composer, organist, and teacher of the late RenaissanceRenaissance musicRenaissance music is European music written during the Renaissance. Defining the beginning of the musical era is difficult, given that its defining characteristics were adopted only gradually; musicologists have placed its beginnings from as early as 1300 to as late as the 1470s.Literally meaning... - Luca MarenzioLuca MarenzioLuca Marenzio was an Italian composer and singer of the late Renaissance. He was one of the most renowned composers of madrigals, and wrote some of the most famous examples of the form in its late stage of development, prior to its early Baroque transformation by Monteverdi...
(1553–1599), composer whose madrigals are considered to be among the finest examples of Italian madrigalsMadrigal (music)A madrigal is a secular vocal music composition, usually a partsong, of the Renaissance and early Baroque eras. Traditionally, polyphonic madrigals are unaccompanied; the number of voices varies from two to eight, and most frequently from three to six....
of the late 16th century - Claudio MeruloClaudio MeruloClaudio Merulo was an Italian composer, publisher and organist of the late Renaissance period, most famous for his innovative keyboard music and his ensemble music composed in the Venetian polychoral style. He was born in Correggio and died in Parma...
(1533–1604), composer. He was organist of BresciaBresciaBrescia is a city and comune in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, between the Mella and the Naviglio, with a population of around 197,000. It is the second largest city in Lombardy, after the capital, Milan...
Cathedral (1556–7) and of St Mark's BasilicaSt Mark's BasilicaThe Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mark is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice, northern Italy. It is the most famous of the city's churches and one of the best known examples of Byzantine architecture...
, VeniceVeniceVenice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
(1557–84), where he was also an organ consultant, publisher and teacher - Claudio MonteverdiClaudio MonteverdiClaudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, gambist, and singer.Monteverdi's work, often regarded as revolutionary, marked the transition from the Renaissance style of music to that of the Baroque period. He developed two individual styles of composition – the...
(1567–1643), composer, violinist and singer considered a crucial figure in the history of musicHistory of musicMusic is found in every known culture, past and present, varying wildly between times and places. Around 50,000 years ago, early modern humans began to disperse from Africa, reaching all the habitable continents... - Jacopo PeriJacopo PeriJacopo Peri was an Italian composer and singer of the transitional period between the Renaissance and Baroque styles, and is often called the inventor of opera...
(1561–1633), composer and singer; often called the inventor of operaOperaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance... - Gioseffo ZarlinoGioseffo ZarlinoGioseffo Zarlino was an Italian music theorist and composer of the Renaissance. He was possibly the most famous music theorist between Aristoxenus and Rameau, and made a large contribution to the theory of counterpoint as well as to musical tuning.-Life:Zarlino was born in Chioggia, near Venice...
(1517–1590), composer and writer on music, the most celebrated music theorist of the mid-16th century
Baroque
- Tomaso AlbinoniTomaso AlbinoniTomaso Giovanni Albinoni was an Italian Baroque composer. While famous in his day as an opera composer, he is mainly remembered today for his instrumental music, such as the concertos, some of which are regularly recorded.-Biography:Born in Venice, Republic of Venice, to Antonio Albinoni, a...
(1671–1751), composer remembered chiefly for his instrumentalInstrumentalAn instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
music - Gregorio AllegriGregorio AllegriGregorio Allegri was an Italian composer of the Roman School and brother of Domenico Allegri; he was also a priest and a singer. He lived mainly in Rome, where he would later die.-Life:...
(1582–1652), composer of church musicChurch musicChurch music may be defined as music written for performance in church, or any musical setting of ecclestiacal liturgy, or music set to words expressing propositions of a sacred nature, such as a hymn. This article covers music in the Judaeo-Christian tradition. For sacred music outside this...
. The famous MiserereMiserere (Allegri)Miserere, full name "Miserere mei, Deus" by Italian composer Gregorio Allegri, is a setting of Psalm 51 composed during the reign of Pope Urban VIII, probably during the 1630s, for use in the Sistine Chapel during matins, as part of the exclusive Tenebrae service on Wednesday and Friday of Holy...
, performed yearly on Wednesday and Friday of Passion WeekPassion WeekPassion Week is a name for the week beginning on Passion Sunday, as the Fifth Sunday of Lent was once called in the Roman Rite.However, even before Pope John XXIII's Code of Rubrics changed the name of this Sunday from "Passion Sunday" to "First Sunday of the Passion" , the liturgical books gave...
, in the papal chapel, is his composition - Francesca CacciniFrancesca CacciniFrancesca Caccini was an Italian composer, singer, lutenist, poet, and music teacher of the early Baroque era. She was the daughter of Giulio Caccini, and was one of the best-known and most influential female European composers between Hildegard of Bingen in the 12th century and the 19th century...
(1587–1641), composer and singer, daughter of Giulio CacciniGiulio CacciniGiulio Caccini , also known as Giulio Romano, was an Italian composer, teacher, singer, instrumentalist and writer of the very late Renaissance and early Baroque eras. He was one of the founders of the genre of opera, and one of the single most influential creators of the new Baroque style...
. She was the first woman to compose operaOperaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
and probably the most prolific woman composer of her time - Antonio CaldaraAntonio CaldaraAntonio Caldara was an Italian Baroque composer.Caldara was born in Venice , the son of a violinist. He became a chorister at St Mark's in Venice, where he learned several instruments, probably under the instruction of Giovanni Legrenzi...
(1670/71–1736), composer. He composed many operaOperaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
s and oratorioOratorioAn oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists. Like an opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias...
s, other sacred and secular vocal musicVocal musicVocal music is a genre of music performed by one or more singers, with or without instrumental accompaniment, in which singing provides the main focus of the piece. Music which employs singing but does not feature it prominently is generally considered instrumental music Vocal music is a genre of...
, and chamberChamber musicChamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
works. His canons were especially popular - Giacomo CarissimiGiacomo CarissimiGiacomo Carissimi was an Italian composer, one of the most celebrated masters of the early Baroque, or, more accurately, the Roman School of music.-Biography:...
(1605–1674), composer and one of the most celebrated masters of the early BaroqueBaroqueThe Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
, or, more accurately, the Roman SchoolRoman SchoolIn music history, the Roman School was a group of composers of predominantly church music, in Rome, during the 16th and 17th centuries, therefore spanning the late Renaissance and early Baroque eras. The term also refers to the music they produced...
of music - Francesco CavalliFrancesco CavalliFrancesco Cavalli was an Italian composer of the early Baroque period. His real name was Pietro Francesco Caletti-Bruni, but he is better known by that of Cavalli, the name of his patron Federico Cavalli, a Venetian nobleman.-Life:Cavalli was born at Crema, Lombardy...
(1602–1676), the most important Italian composer of opera in the mid-17th century - Antonio CestiAntonio CestiAntonio Cesti , known today primarily as an Italian composer of the Baroque era, he was also a singer , and organist. He was "the most celebrated Italian musician of his generation".- Biography :...
(1623–1669), composer who, with Francesco Cavalli, was one of the leading Italian composers of the 17th century - Arcangelo CorelliArcangelo CorelliArcangelo Corelli was an Italian violinist and composer of Baroque music.-Biography:Corelli was born at Fusignano, in the current-day province of Ravenna, although at the time it was in the province of Ferrara. Little is known about his early life...
(1653–1713), violinist, composer, conductor and teacher. Founder of the Italian school of violin - Girolamo FrescobaldiGirolamo FrescobaldiGirolamo Frescobaldi was a musician from Ferrara, one of the most important composers of keyboard music in the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods. A child prodigy, Frescobaldi studied under Luzzasco Luzzaschi in Ferrara, but was influenced by a large number of composers, including Ascanio...
(1583–1643), musician and one of the most important composers of keyboadKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
instrumental music in the late RenaissanceRenaissance musicRenaissance music is European music written during the Renaissance. Defining the beginning of the musical era is difficult, given that its defining characteristics were adopted only gradually; musicologists have placed its beginnings from as early as 1300 to as late as the 1470s.Literally meaning...
and early Baroque musicBaroque musicBaroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
periods - Francesco GeminianiFrancesco Geminianithumb|230px|Francesco Geminiani.Francesco Saverio Geminiani was an Italian violinist, composer, and music theorist.-Biography:...
(1687–1762), composer, violinist, teacher, writer on musical performancePerformanceA performance, in performing arts, generally comprises an event in which a performer or group of performers behave in a particular way for another group of people, the audience. Choral music and ballet are examples. Usually the performers participate in rehearsals beforehand. Afterwards audience...
, and a leading figure in early 18th-century music - Leonardo LeoLeonardo LeoLeonardo Leo , more correctly Lionardo Oronzo Salvatore de Leo, was an Italian Baroque composer.-Biography:...
(1694–1744), composer who was noted for his comic operaComic operaComic opera denotes a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending.Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a new operatic genre, opera buffa, emerged as an alternative to opera seria...
s and who was instrumental in forming the Neapolitan style of opera composition - Pietro LocatelliPietro LocatelliPietro Antonio Locatelli was an Italian composer and violinist.-Biography:Locatelli was born in Bergamo, Italy. A child prodigy on the violin, he was sent to study in Rome under the direction of Arcangelo Corelli...
(1695–1764), composer and violinist. His influential L′arte del violino (1733) contains 12 solo violin concertos and 24 caprices for solo violin - Jean Baptiste Lully (1632–1687), Italian-French composer. He was court composer to Louis XIV, founding the national French operaFrench OperaFrench opera is one of Europe's most important operatic traditions, containing works by composers of the stature of Rameau, Berlioz, Bizet, Debussy, Poulenc and Olivier Messiaen...
and producing court ballets for MolièreMolièreJean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright and actor who is considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature...
's plays - Giovanni Battista PergolesiGiovanni Battista PergolesiGiovanni Battista Pergolesi was an Italian composer, violinist and organist.-Biography:Born at Iesi, Pergolesi studied music there under a local musician, Francesco Santini, before going to Naples in 1725, where he studied under Gaetano Greco and Francesco Feo among others...
(1710–1736), composer whose intermezzoIntermezzoIn music, an intermezzo , in the most general sense, is a composition which fits between other musical or dramatic entities, such as acts of a play or movements of a larger musical work...
La serva padronaLa serva padronaLa serva padrona is an opera buffa by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi to a libretto by Gennaro Antonio Federico, after the play by Jacopo Angello Nelli. The opera is only 45 minutes long and was originally performed as an intermezzo between the acts of a larger serious opera...
(1733) was one of the most celebrated stage works of the 18th century - Nicola PorporaNicola PorporaNicola Porpora was an Italian composer of Baroque operas and teacher of singing, whose most famous singing student was the castrato Farinelli. One of his other students was composer Matteo Capranica.-Biography:Porpora was born in Naples...
(1686–1768), composer. Leading Italian teacher of singing of the 18th century - Alessandro ScarlattiAlessandro ScarlattiAlessandro Scarlatti was an Italian Baroque composer especially famous for his operas and chamber cantatas. He is considered the founder of the Neapolitan school of opera. He was the father of two other composers, Domenico Scarlatti and Pietro Filippo Scarlatti.-Life:Scarlatti was born in...
(1660–1725), composer of operas and religious works. He is considered the founder of the Neapolitan school of opera - Domenico ScarlattiDomenico ScarlattiGiuseppe Domenico Scarlatti was an Italian composer who spent much of his life in the service of the Portuguese and Spanish royal families. He is classified as a Baroque composer chronologically, although his music was influential in the development of the Classical style...
(1685–1757), composer noted particularly for his 555 keyboard sonataSonataSonata , in music, literally means a piece played as opposed to a cantata , a piece sung. The term, being vague, naturally evolved through the history of music, designating a variety of forms prior to the Classical era...
s, which substantially expanded the technical and musical possibilities of the harpsichordHarpsichordA harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard... - Barbara StrozziBarbara StrozziBarbara Strozzi was an Italian Baroque singer and composer.-Life:...
(1619–1677), virtuoso singer and composer of vocal musicVocal musicVocal music is a genre of music performed by one or more singers, with or without instrumental accompaniment, in which singing provides the main focus of the piece. Music which employs singing but does not feature it prominently is generally considered instrumental music Vocal music is a genre of...
, one of only a few women in the 17th century to publish their own compositions - Giuseppe TartiniGiuseppe TartiniGiuseppe Tartini was an Italian baroque composer and violinist.-Biography:Tartini was born in Piran, a town on the peninsula of Istria, in the Republic of Venice to Gianantonio – native of Florence – and Caterina Zangrando, a descendant of one of the oldest aristocratic Piranian families.It...
(1692–1770), violinist, composer, and theorist who helped establish the modern style of violin bowing and formulated principles of musical ornamentationOrnament (music)In music, ornaments or embellishments are musical flourishes that are not necessary to carry the overall line of the melody , but serve instead to decorate or "ornament" that line. Many ornaments are performed as "fast notes" around a central note...
and harmony - Giuseppe TorelliGiuseppe TorelliGiuseppe Torelli was an Italian violist, violinist, teacher, and composer.Torelli is most remembered for his contributions to the development of the instrumental concerto Giuseppe Torelli (April 22, 1658 – February 8, 1709) was an Italian violist, violinist, teacher, and composer.Torelli is most...
(1658–1709), composer and violinist, noted for his essential role in the development of the solo concertoSolo concertoA solo concerto is a concerto in which a single soloist is accompanied by an orchestra. It is the most frequent type of concerto. It originated in the Baroque Period as an alternative to the traditional concertino in a concerto grosso.A typical concerto has three movements, traditionally fast,...
, concerto grossoConcerto grossoThe concerto grosso is a form of baroque music in which the musical material is passed between a small group of soloists and full orchestra...
, and sonata da cameraSonata da cameraSonata da camera is literally translated to mean 'chamber sonata' and is used to describe a group of instrumental pieces set into three or four different movements, beginning with a prelude, or small sonata, acting as an introduction for the following movements.The term sonata da camera originated...
forms - Antonio VivaldiAntonio VivaldiAntonio Lucio Vivaldi , nicknamed because of his red hair, was an Italian Baroque composer, priest, and virtuoso violinist, born in Venice. Vivaldi is recognized as one of the greatest Baroque composers, and his influence during his lifetime was widespread over Europe...
(1678–1741), composer. He was the greatest master of Italian baroqueBaroque musicBaroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
, particularly of violin music and the concerto grossoConcerto grossoThe concerto grosso is a form of baroque music in which the musical material is passed between a small group of soloists and full orchestra... - Domenico ZipoliDomenico ZipoliDomenico Zipoli was an Italian Baroque composer. He became a Jesuit in order to work in the Reductions of Paraguay where his musical expertise contributed to develop the natural musical talents of the Guaranis...
(1688–1726), organist and composer. In 1716 he published his collection Sonate d'intavolatura per organo e cimbalo, which continues to be his best-known work
Classical period
- Luigi BoccheriniLuigi BoccheriniLuigi Rodolfo Boccherini was an Italian classical era composer and cellist whose music retained a courtly and galante style while he matured somewhat apart from the major European musical centers. Boccherini is most widely known for one particular minuet from his String Quintet in E, Op. 11, No...
(1743–1805), composer and cellist. His vast chamber musicChamber musicChamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
output includes some 125 string quintetString quintetA string quintet is a musical composition for a standard string quartet supplemented by a fifth string instrument, usually a second viola or a second cello , but occasionally a double bass. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who favoured addition of a viola, is considered a pioneer of the form...
s, some 90 string quartets, and many string trioString trioA string trio is a group of three string instruments or a piece written for such a group. The term is generally used with reference to works of chamber music from the Classical period to the present.-History:...
s - Ferdinando CarulliFerdinando CarulliFerdinando Maria Meinrado Francesco Pascale Rosario Carulli was an Italian composer for classical guitar and the author of the first complete classical guitar method, which continues to be used today. He wrote a variety of works for classical guitar, including concertos and chamber works...
(1770–1841), guitarist, composer and teacher. Known for his concertos, sonatas, studies, variations and transcriptions (over 300 opus numbers) - Domenico CimarosaDomenico CimarosaDomenico Cimarosa was an Italian opera composer of the Neapolitan school...
(1749–1801), composer; a leading representative of the opera buffaOpera buffaOpera buffa is a genre of opera. It was first used as an informal description of Italian comic operas variously classified by their authors as ‘commedia in musica’, ‘commedia per musica’, ‘dramma bernesco’, ‘dramma comico’, ‘divertimento giocoso' etc...
. Among his numerous works, Il matrimonio segretoIl matrimonio segretoIl matrimonio segreto is an opera in two acts, music by Domenico Cimarosa, on a libretto by Giovanni Bertati, based on the play The Clandestine Marriage by George Colman the Elder and David Garrick...
(1792) is universally renowned - Baldassare Galuppi (1706–1784), composer whose comic operaComic operaComic opera denotes a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending.Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a new operatic genre, opera buffa, emerged as an alternative to opera seria...
s won him the title father of the opera buffaOpera buffaOpera buffa is a genre of opera. It was first used as an informal description of Italian comic operas variously classified by their authors as ‘commedia in musica’, ‘commedia per musica’, ‘dramma bernesco’, ‘dramma comico’, ‘divertimento giocoso' etc...
." - Mauro GiulianiMauro GiulianiMauro Giuseppe Sergio Pantaleo Giuliani was an Italian guitarist, cellist and composer, and is considered by many to be one of the leading guitar virtuosi of the early 19th century.- Biography :...
(1781–1829), the most important guitarist and composer of guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
music of his time - Niccolò JommelliNiccolò JommelliNiccolò Jommelli was an Italian composer. He was born in Aversa and died in Naples. Along with other composers mainly in the Holy Roman Empire and France, he made important changes to opera and reduced the importance of star singers.-Early life:Jommelli was born to Francesco Antonio Jommelli and...
(1714–1774), composer of religious musicReligious musicReligious music is music performed or composed for religious use or through religious influence.A lot of music has been composed to complement religion, and many composers have derived inspiration from their own religion. Many forms of traditional music have been adapted to fit religions'...
and operas, notable as an innovator in his use of the orchestraOrchestraAn orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus... - Giovanni Battista MartiniGiovanni Battista MartiniGiovanni Battista Martini , also known as Padre Martini, was an Italian musician.-Biography:Martini was born at Bologna....
(1706–1784), composer, music theorist, and music historian who was internationally renowned as a teacher - Giovanni PaisielloGiovanni PaisielloGiovanni Paisiello was an Italian composer of the Classical era.-Life:Paisiello was born at Taranto and educated by the Jesuits there. He became known for his beautiful singing voice and in 1754 was sent to the Conservatorio di S. Onofrio at Naples, where he studied under Francesco Durante, and...
(1740–1816), one of the most successful and influential opera composers of his time. He composed more than 80 operas, including a very popular Barber of Seville (1782) - Niccolò PiccinniNiccolò PiccinniNiccolò Piccinni was an Italian composer of symphonies, sacred music, chamber music, and opera. Although he is somewhat obscure, even to music lovers today, Piccinni was one of the most popular composers of opera—particularly the Neapolitan opera buffa—of his day...
(1728–1800), composer of more than 100 operas. His most famous opera was La buona figliuolaLa buona figliuolaLa Cecchina, ossia La buona figliuola is an opera buffa in three Acts by Niccolò Piccinni. The libretto, by Carlo Goldoni, is based on Samuel Richardson's novel Pamela. This was Piccinni's most successful Italian opera. There was a sequel entitled La buona figliuola maritata by the same composer...
(1760), which established him as one of the leading composers of his day - Antonio SalieriAntonio SalieriAntonio Salieri was a Venetian classical composer, conductor and teacher born in Legnago, south of Verona, in the Republic of Venice, but who spent his adult life and career as a faithful subject of the Habsburg monarchy....
(1750–1825), composer whose operas were acclaimed throughout Europe in the late 18th century - Giovanni Battista SammartiniGiovanni Battista SammartiniGiovanni Battista Sammartini was an Italian composer, organist, choirmaster and teacher. He counted Gluck among his students, and was highly regarded by younger composers including Johann Christian Bach...
(1700/1701–1775), composer who was an important formative influence on the pre-Classical symphony - Giovanni Battista ViottiGiovanni Battista ViottiGiovanni Battista Viotti was an Italian violinist whose virtuosity was famed and whose work as a composer featured a prominent violin and an appealing lyrical tunefulness...
(1755–1824), violinist and composer, principal founder of the 19th-century school of violin playing
Romantic
- Vincenzo BelliniVincenzo BelliniVincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini was an Italian opera composer. His greatest works are I Capuleti ed i Montecchi , La sonnambula , Norma , Beatrice di Tenda , and I puritani...
(1801–1835), opera composer. His most celebrated works are the operas La sonnambulaLa sonnambulaLa sonnambula is an opera semiseria in two acts, with music in the bel canto tradition by Vincenzo Bellini to an Italian libretto by Felice Romani, based on a scenario for a ballet-pantomime by Eugène Scribe and Jean-Pierre Aumer called La somnambule, ou L'arrivée d'un nouveau seigneur.The first...
and NormaNorma (opera)Norma is a tragedia lirica or opera in two acts by Vincenzo Bellini with libretto by Felice Romani after Norma, ossia L'infanticidio by Alexandre Soumet. First produced at La Scala on December 26, 1831, it is generally regarded as an example of the supreme height of the bel canto tradition...
(both 1831) - Arrigo BoitoArrigo BoitoArrigo Boito , aka Enrico Giuseppe Giovanni Boito, pseudonym Tobia Gorrio, was an Italian poet, journalist, novelist and composer, best known today for his libretti, especially those for Giuseppe Verdi's operas Otello and Falstaff, and his own opera Mefistofele...
(1842–1918), composer and poet. He is remembered for his opera MefistofeleMefistofeleMefistofele is an opera in a prologue, four acts and an epilogue, the only completed opera by the Italian composer-librettist Arrigo Boito.-Composition history:...
(1868) - Alfredo CatalaniAlfredo CatalaniAlfredo Catalani was an Italian operatic composer. He is best remembered for his operas Loreley and La Wally...
(1854–1893), composer of the popular opera La WallyLa WallyLa Wally is a four-act opera by Alfredo Catalani, composed on a libretto by Luigi Illica, and first performed at La Scala, Milan on 20 January 1892....
(1892). His operas were among the most important in the period preceding the verismoVerismoVerismo was an Italian literary movement which peaked between approximately 1875 and the early 1900s....
school - Luigi CherubiniLuigi CherubiniLuigi Cherubini was an Italian composer who spent most of his working life in France. His most significant compositions are operas and sacred music. Beethoven regarded Cherubini as the greatest of his contemporaries....
(1760–1842), composer, who lived in ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
after 1788. Of his nearly 40 operas, the most popular were LodoïskaLodoïskaLodoïska is an opera by Luigi Cherubini to a French libretto by Claude-François Fillette-Loraux after an episode from Jean-Baptiste Louvet de Couvrai’s novel, Les amours du chevalier de Faublas. It takes the form of a comédie héroïque in three acts, and was a founding work of rescue opera...
(1791), MédéeMédée (Cherubini)Médée is a French language opéra-comique by Luigi Cherubini.The libretto by François-Benoît Hoffmann was based on Euripides' tragedy of Medea and Pierre Corneille's play Médée....
(1797), and Les deux journéesLes deux journéesLes deux journées, ou Le porteur d'eau is an opera in three acts by Luigi Cherubini with a libretto by Jean-Nicolas Bouilly. It takes the form of an opéra comique, meaning not that the subject matter is humorous, but that the piece is a mixture of spoken dialogue and musical numbers...
(1800) - Muzio ClementiMuzio ClementiMuzio Clementi was a celebrated composer, pianist, pedagogue, conductor, music publisher, editor, and piano manufacturer. Born in Italy, he spent most of his life in England. He is best known for his piano sonatas, and his collection of piano studies, Gradus ad Parnassum...
(1752–1832), composer, pianist, organist and teacher who is acknowledged as the first to write specifically for the pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... - Gaetano DonizettiGaetano DonizettiDomenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti was an Italian composer from Bergamo, Lombardy. His best-known works are the operas L'elisir d'amore , Lucia di Lammermoor , and Don Pasquale , all in Italian, and the French operas La favorite and La fille du régiment...
(1797–1848), opera composer. Among his major works are Lucia di LammermoorLucia di LammermoorLucia di Lammermoor is a dramma tragico in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti. Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian language libretto loosely based upon Sir Walter Scott's historical novel The Bride of Lammermoor....
(1835), La fille du régimentLa fille du régimentLa fille du régiment is an opéra comique in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti. It was written while the composer was living in Paris, with a French libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Jean-François Bayard.La figlia del reggimento, a slightly different Italian-language version , was...
(1840), and La favoriteLa favoriteLa favorite is an opera in four acts by Gaetano Donizetti to a French-language libretto by Alphonse Royer and Gustave Vaëz, based on the play Le comte de Comminges by Baculard d'Arnaud...
(1840) - Ruggero LeoncavalloRuggero LeoncavalloRuggero Leoncavallo was an Italian opera composer. His two-act work Pagliacci remains one of the most popular works in the repertory, appearing as number 20 on the Operabase list of the most-performed operas worldwide.-Biography:...
(1857–1919), opera composer whose fame rests on the opera PagliacciPagliacciPagliacci , sometimes incorrectly rendered with a definite article as I Pagliacci, is an opera consisting of a prologue and two acts written and composed by Ruggero Leoncavallo. It recounts the tragedy of a jealous husband in a commedia dell'arte troupe...
(1892) - Pietro MascagniPietro MascagniPietro Antonio Stefano Mascagni was an Italian composer most noted for his operas. His 1890 masterpiece Cavalleria rusticana caused one of the greatest sensations in opera history and single-handedly ushered in the Verismo movement in Italian dramatic music...
(1863–1945), operatic composer, one of the principal exponents of verismoVerismoVerismo was an Italian literary movement which peaked between approximately 1875 and the early 1900s....
. Mascagni came up with his masterpiece Cavalleria RusticanaCavalleria rusticanaCavalleria rusticana is an opera in one act by Pietro Mascagni to an Italian libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci, adapted from a play written by Giovanni Verga based on his short story. Considered one of the classic verismo operas, it premiered on May 17, 1890 at the Teatro...
in 1890 to tremendous success - Saverio MercadanteSaverio MercadanteGiuseppe Saverio Raffaele Mercadante was an Italian composer, particularly of operas. While Mercadante may not have retained the international celebrity of Gaetano Donizetti or Gioachino Rossini beyond his own lifetime, he composed as impressive a number of works as either; and his development of...
(1795–1870), composer, teacher and orchestrator. He is considered to have been an important reformer of Italian operaItalian operaItalian opera is both the art of opera in Italy and opera in the Italian language. Opera was born in Italy around the year 1600 and Italian opera has continued to play a dominant role in the history of the form until the present day. Many famous operas in Italian were written by foreign composers,... - Niccolò PaganiniNiccolò PaganiniNiccolò Paganini was an Italian violinist, violist, guitarist, and composer. He was one of the most celebrated violin virtuosi of his time, and left his mark as one of the pillars of modern violin technique...
(1782–1840), composer and principal violin virtuosoVirtuosoA virtuoso is an individual who possesses outstanding technical ability in the fine arts, at singing or playing a musical instrument. The plural form is either virtuosi or the Anglicisation, virtuosos, and the feminine form sometimes used is virtuosa...
of the 19th century - Amilcare PonchielliAmilcare PonchielliAmilcare Ponchielli was an Italian composer, largely of operas.-Biography:Born in Paderno Fasolaro, now Paderno Ponchielli, near Cremona, Ponchielli won a scholarship at the age of nine to study music at the Milan Conservatory, writing his first symphony by the time he was ten years old.Two years...
(1834–1886), composer, best known for his opera La GiocondaLa Gioconda (opera)La Gioconda is an opera in four acts by Amilcare Ponchielli set to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on Angelo, tyran de Padoue, a play in prose by Victor Hugo, dating from 1835...
(1876) - Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868), composer nicknamed "The Italian Mozart". His best-known operas include: The Barber of SevilleThe Barber of SevilleThe Barber of Seville, or The Futile Precaution is an opera buffa in two acts by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based on Pierre Beaumarchais's comedy Le Barbier de Séville , which was originally an opéra comique, or a mixture of spoken play with music...
(1816), La CenerentolaLa CenerentolaLa Cenerentola, ossia La bontà in trionfo is an operatic dramma giocoso in two acts by Gioachino Rossini. The libretto was written by Jacopo Ferretti, based on the fairy tale Cinderella...
(1817), and SemiramideSemiramideSemiramide is an opera in two acts by Gioachino Rossini.The libretto by Gaetano Rossi is based on Voltaire's tragedy Semiramis, which in turn was based on the legend of Semiramis of Babylon...
(1823) - Gaspare SpontiniGaspare SpontiniGaspare Luigi Pacifico Spontini was an Italian opera composer and conductor, extremely celebrated in his time, though largely forgotten after his death.-Biography:...
(1774–1851), composer and conductor. His most acclaimed work was La VestaleLa vestaleLa vestale is an opera composed by Gaspare Spontini to a French libretto by Etienne de Jouy. It was first performed at the Paris Opéra in Paris on December 15, 1807 and is regarded as Spontini's masterpiece...
(1807) - Giuseppe VerdiGiuseppe VerdiGiuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century...
(1813–1901), leading Italian composer of operaOperaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
in the 19th century, noted for operas such as RigolettoRigolettoRigoletto is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the play Le roi s'amuse by Victor Hugo. It was first performed at La Fenice in Venice on March 11, 1851...
(1851), La traviataLa traviataLa traviata is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on La dame aux Camélias , a play adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas, fils. The title La traviata means literally The Fallen Woman, or perhaps more figuratively, The Woman...
(1853), AidaAidaAida sometimes spelled Aïda, is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni, based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette...
(1871) and OtelloOtelloOtello is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on Shakespeare's play Othello. It was Verdi's penultimate opera, and was first performed at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan, on February 5, 1887....
(1887) among others
The 1900s
- Luciano BerioLuciano BerioLuciano Berio, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian composer. He is noted for his experimental work and also for his pioneering work in electronic music.-Biography:Berio was born at Oneglia Luciano Berio, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI (October 24, 1925 – May 27, 2003) was an Italian...
(1925–2003), musician, whose success as theorist, conductor, composer, and teacher placed him among the leading representatives of the musical avant-gardeAvant-gardeAvant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics.... - Ferruccio BusoniFerruccio BusoniFerruccio Busoni was an Italian composer, pianist, editor, writer, piano and composition teacher, and conductor.-Biography:...
(1866–1924), pianist and composer who attained fame as a pianist of brilliance and intellectual power - Mario Castelnuovo-TedescoMario Castelnuovo-TedescoMario Castelnuovo-Tedesco was an Italian composer. He was known as one of the foremost guitar composers in the twentieth century with almost one hundred compositions for that instrument. In 1939 he migrated to the United States and became a film composer for some 200 Hollywood movies for the next...
(1895–1968), composer in the Neoromantic style. LiteratureLiteratureLiterature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
and JudaismJudaismJudaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
were influential in his compositions - Francesco CileaFrancesco CileaFrancesco Cilea was an Italian composer. Today he is particularly known for his operas L'arlesiana and Adriana Lecouvreur.-Biography:...
(1866–1950), composer whose operas are distinguished by their melodic charm. His best-known work, Adriana LecouvreurAdriana LecouvreurAdriana Lecouvreur is an opera in four acts by Francesco Cilea to an Italian libretto by Arturo Colautti, based on the play by Eugène Scribe and Ernest Legouvé...
, was followed in 1902 - Luigi DallapiccolaLuigi DallapiccolaLuigi Dallapiccola was an Italian composer known for his lyrical twelve-tone compositions.-Biography:Dallapiccola was born at Pisino d'Istria , to Italian parents....
(1904–1975), composer known for his lyrical twelve-toneSerialismIn music, serialism is a method or technique of composition that uses a series of values to manipulate different musical elements. Serialism began primarily with Arnold Schoenberg's twelve-tone technique, though his contemporaries were also working to establish serialism as one example of...
compositions - Umberto GiordanoUmberto GiordanoUmberto Menotti Maria Giordano was an Italian composer, mainly of operas.He was born in Foggia in Puglia, southern Italy, and studied under Paolo Serrao at the Conservatoire of Naples...
(1867–1948), opera composer in the verismoVerismoVerismo was an Italian literary movement which peaked between approximately 1875 and the early 1900s....
, or "realist", style, known for his opera Andrea ChénierAndrea ChénierAndrea Chénier is a verismo opera in four acts by the composer Umberto Giordano, set to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica. It is based loosely on the life of the French poet, André Chénier , who was executed during the French Revolution....
(1896) - Ennio MorriconeEnnio MorriconeEnnio Morricone, Grand Officer OMRI, , is an Italian composer and conductor, who wrote music to more than 500 motion pictures and television series, in a career lasting over 50 years. His scores have been included in over 20 award-winning films as well as several symphonic and choral pieces...
(born 1928), composer and conductor. He is considered one of the most prolific and influential film composers of his era - Luigi NonoLuigi NonoLuigi Nono was an Italian avant-garde composer of classical music and remains one of the most prominent composers of the 20th century.- Early years :Born in Venice, he was a member of a wealthy artistic family, and his grandfather was a notable painter...
(1924–1990), leading Italian composer of electronic, aleatory, and serial music - Giacomo PucciniGiacomo PucciniGiacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini was an Italian composer whose operas, including La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot, are among the most frequently performed in the standard repertoire...
(1858–1924), composer of operas. His finest operas, La bohèmeLa bohèmeLa bohème is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions quadro, a tableau or "image", rather than atto . by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based on Scènes de la vie de bohème by Henri Murger...
(1896), ToscaToscaTosca is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900...
(1900), Madama ButterflyMadama ButterflyMadama Butterfly is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. Puccini based his opera in part on the short story "Madame Butterfly" by John Luther Long, which was dramatized by David Belasco...
(1904), and TurandotTurandotTurandot is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini, set to a libretto in Italian by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni.Though Puccini's first interest in the subject was based on his reading of Friedrich Schiller's adaptation of the play, his work is most nearly based on the earlier text Turandot...
(produced posthumously in 1926) - Ottorino RespighiOttorino RespighiOttorino Respighi was an Italian composer, musicologist and conductor. He is best known for his orchestral "Roman trilogy": Fountains of Rome ; Pines of Rome ; and Roman Festivals...
(1879–1936), composer. His best-known works are the colourful tone poems The Fountains of Rome (1916) and The Pines of Rome (1924) - Nino RotaNino RotaNino Rota was an Italian composer and academic who is best known for his film scores, notably for the films of Federico Fellini and Luchino Visconti...
(1911–1979), composer of film scores, notably for the films of Federico FelliniFederico FelliniFederico Fellini, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI , was an Italian film director and scriptwriter. Known for a distinct style that blends fantasy and baroque images, he is considered one of the most influential and widely revered filmmakers of the 20th century...
and Luchino ViscontiLuchino ViscontiLuchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo was an Italian theatre, opera and cinema director, as well as a screenwriter. He is best known for his films The Leopard and Death in Venice .-Life:...
Conductors
- Claudio AbbadoClaudio AbbadoClaudio Abbado, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI , is an Italian conductor. He has served as music director of the La Scala opera house in Milan, principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, principal guest conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, music director of the Vienna State Opera,...
(born 1933), conductor. Principal conductor of the London Symphony OrchestraLondon Symphony OrchestraThe London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
(1979–88); director of the Vienna State OperaVienna State OperaThe Vienna State Opera is an opera house – and opera company – with a history dating back to the mid-19th century. It is located in the centre of Vienna, Austria. It was originally called the Vienna Court Opera . In 1920, with the replacement of the Habsburg Monarchy by the First Austrian...
(1986–91), and the Berlin Philharmonic (1989–2001) - Ferruccio BusoniFerruccio BusoniFerruccio Busoni was an Italian composer, pianist, editor, writer, piano and composition teacher, and conductor.-Biography:...
(1866–1924), pianist and composer who attained fame as a pianist of brilliance and intellectual power - Riccardo ChaillyRiccardo ChaillyRiccardo Chailly, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI is an Italian conductor. He started his career as an opera conductor and gradually extended his repertoire to encompass symphonic music.-Biography:...
(born 1953), conductor known for his devotion to contemporary music, and for his attempts to modernize approaches to the traditional symphonic repertory - Victor de SabataVictor de SabataVictor de Sabata was an Italian conductor and composer. He is widely recognized as one of the most distinguished operatic conductors of the twentieth century, especially for his Verdi, Puccini and Wagner. He is also acclaimed for his interpretations of orchestral music...
(1892–1967), conductor and composer. He is widely recognized as one of the most distinguished operatic conductors of the 20th century - Daniele GattiDaniele GattiDaniele Gatti is an Italian conductor.Official website: He is currently Music Director of the Orchestre National de France, a role he assumed in September, 2008 , and also Chief Conductor of the Zurich Opera, a position he began in September, 2009; his contract is for three seasons, after which...
(born 1961), conductor. He is considered the foremost conductor of his generation" - Carlo Maria GiuliniCarlo Maria GiuliniCarlo Maria Giulini was an Italian conductor.-Biography:Giulini was born in Barletta, Italy, to a father born in Lombardy and a mother born in Naples; but he was raised in Bolzano, which at the time of his birth was part of Austria...
(1914–2005), conductor esteemed for his skills in directing both grand opera and symphony orchestras - Fabio LuisiFabio LuisiFabio Luisi is an Italian conductor. On September 6, 2011, he was named Principal Conductor of the Metropolitan Opera....
(born 1959), conductor of the Vienna Symphony and the Staatskapelle Dresden - Riccardo MutiRiccardo MutiRiccardo Muti, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI is an Italian conductor and music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.-Childhood and education:...
(born 1941), conductor of both opera and the symphonic repertory. He became one of the most respected and charismatic conductors of his generation - Claudio ScimoneClaudio ScimoneClaudio Scimone is an Italian conductor.He was born in Padua, Italy and studied conducting with Dmitri Mitropoulos and Franco Ferrara. He has established an international reputation as a conductor, as well as a composer. He has revived many baroque and renaissance works...
(born 1934), conductor. He founded I Solisti VenetiI Solisti VenetiI Solisti Veneti is one of the first rank of small Italian chamber orchestras with modern instruments. Founded in Padua in 1959 by Claudio Scimone, it has made a reputation especially with Italian Baroque music, recording many works by Antonio Vivaldi, Tomaso Albinoni, Francesco Geminiani,...
in 1959, specializing in 18th-century and 20th-century Italian music - Tullio SerafinTullio Serafin-Biography:Tullio Serafin was a leading Italian opera conductor with a long career and a very broad repertoire who revived many 19th century bel canto operas by Bellini, Rossini and Donizetti to become staples of 20th century repertoire...
(1878–1968), conductor. An outstanding conductor of Italian operaItalian operaItalian opera is both the art of opera in Italy and opera in the Italian language. Opera was born in Italy around the year 1600 and Italian opera has continued to play a dominant role in the history of the form until the present day. Many famous operas in Italian were written by foreign composers,...
, he did much to foster the revival of interest in BelliniVincenzo BelliniVincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini was an Italian opera composer. His greatest works are I Capuleti ed i Montecchi , La sonnambula , Norma , Beatrice di Tenda , and I puritani...
and Donizetti - Giuseppe SinopoliGiuseppe Sinopoli-Biography:Sinopoli was born in Venice, Italy, and later studied at the Benedetto Marcello Conservatory in Venice under Ernesto Rubin de Cervin and at Darmstadt, including being mentored in composition with Karlheinz Stockhausen...
(1946–2001), performed with an intensity and daring that made him one of Europe's most controversial orchestra leaders - Arturo ToscaniniArturo ToscaniniArturo Toscanini was an Italian conductor. One of the most acclaimed musicians of the late 19th and 20th century, he was renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orchestral detail and sonority, and his photographic memory...
(1867–1957), conductor, considered one of the great virtuoso conductors of the first half of the 20th century
Engineers
- Ettore Bellini (1876–1943), engineer, co-inventor with Alessandro Tosi, of Radio direction finderRadio direction finderA radio direction finder is a device for finding the direction to a radio source. Due to low frequency propagation characteristic to travel very long distances and "over the horizon", it makes a particularly good navigation system for ships, small boats, and aircraft that might be some distance...
(RDF) - Enrico BernardiEnrico BernardiEnrico Zeno Bernardi was an Italian engineer and one of Italian automobile pioneers. He was Professor of Hydraulic and Agricultural Machinery at the University of Padua....
(1841–1919), engineer and one of Italian automobile pioneers. Inventor of the "Pia Engine", the first petrol enginePetrol engineA petrol engine is an internal combustion engine with spark-ignition, designed to run on petrol and similar volatile fuels.... - Luigi Bezzera (... – ...), engineer, created the first espresso machineEspresso machineAn espresso machine is used to produce the traditional Italian coffee beverage called espresso.-History:The first machine for making espresso was built and patented by Angelo Moriondo of Turin, Italy, who demonstrated a working example at the Turin General Exposition of 1884. He was granted patent no...
(1901) which used steam to make coffeeCoffeeCoffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,... - Giovanni BrancaGiovanni BrancaGiovanni Branca was an Italian engineer and architect, chiefly remembered today for what some commentators have taken to be an early steam engine.-Life:...
(1571–1645), engineer and architect who provided the first known description of a steam turbineSteam turbineA steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into rotary motion. Its modern manifestation was invented by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884....
(1629) - Mario Calderara (1879–1944), engineer and aviation pioneer, designer and constructor the first seaplaneSeaplaneA seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
(1911) - Matteo Campani-AlimenisMatteo Campani-AlimenisMatteo or Mathieu Campani-Alimenis was a mechanician and natural philosopher of the 17th century.He held a curacy at Rome in 1661, but devoted himself principally to scientific pursuits...
(1620–1678), engineer, mechanician and natural philosopher. Inventor of the Magic lanternMagic lanternThe magic lantern or Laterna Magica is an early type of image projector developed in the 17th century.-Operation:The magic lantern has a concave mirror in front of a light source that gathers light and projects it through a slide with an image scanned onto it. The light rays cross an aperture , and...
(1678) - Secondo CampiniSecondo CampiniSecondo Campini was an Italian engineer and one of the pioneers of the jet engine.Campini was born at Bologna, Emilia-Romagna. In 1931 he wrote a proposal for the Italian Air Ministry on the value of jet propulsion and in 1932 demonstrated a jet-powered boat in Venice...
(1904–1980), engineer, one of the pioneers of the jet engineJet engineA jet engine is a reaction engine that discharges a fast moving jet to generate thrust by jet propulsion and in accordance with Newton's laws of motion. This broad definition of jet engines includes turbojets, turbofans, rockets, ramjets, pulse jets... - Alessandro Capra (... – ...), engineer and mathematician. Inventor of the first speedometerSpeedometerA speedometer is a gauge that measures and displays the instantaneous speed of a land vehicle. Now universally fitted to motor vehicles, they started to be available as options in the 1900s, and as standard equipment from about 1910 onwards. Speedometers for other vehicles have specific names...
for coaches (1678) - Giovanni Battista CaproniGiovanni Battista CaproniGiovanni Battista Caproni , known as "Gianni" Caproni, was an Italian aeronautical engineer, civil engineer, electrical engineer, and aircraft designer who founded the Caproni aircraft-manufacturing company.-Early life and education:...
(1886–1957), aeronautical engineer, civil engineer, electrical engineer, and aircraft designer who founded an aircraft-manufacturing company bearing his nameCapronithumb|right|300px|[[Caproni Ca.316]] seaplane at its moorings.Caproni was an Italian aircraft manufacturer founded in 1908 by Giovanni Battista "Gianni" Caproni....
(1908) - Bernard CastroBernard CastroBernard Castro was the inventor of the modern convertible couch.Born in Sicily, Castro emigrated to the U.S. in 1919. Castro never finished high school and instead, went to work as an upholsterer's apprentice. In 1931, with $400, he opened his first store, which eventually became, Castro...
(1904–1991), industrial engineer. Inventor of the modern convertible couchCouchA couch, also called a sofa, is an item of furniture designed to seat more than one person, and providing support for the back and arms. Typically, it will have an armrest on either side. In homes couches are normally found in the family room, living room, den or the lounge... - Leonardo ChiariglioneLeonardo ChiariglioneLeonardo Chiariglione is an Italianengineer. He has been at the forefront of a number of initiatives that have helped shape media technology and business as we know them today, in particular he is the chairman and co-founded the Moving Picture Experts Group together with Hiroshi Yasuda.-...
(born 1952/1953), engineer. Inventor of the MPEG format (1988) and precursor of MP3MP3MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression... - Corradino D'AscanioCorradino D'AscanioGeneral Corradino D'Ascanio was an Italian aeronautical engineer. D'Ascanio designed the first production helicopter, for Agusta, and designed the first motor scooter for Ferdinando Innocenti...
(1891–1981), aeronautical engineer. Inventor of motor scooter (VespaVespaVespa is an Italian brand of scooter manufactured by Piaggio. The name means wasp in Italian.The Vespa has evolved from a single model motor scooter manufactured in 1946 by Piaggio & Co. S.p.A...
in 1946) - Luigi de Cristoforis (... – ...), engineer. Inventor of the carburetorCarburetorA carburetor , carburettor, or carburetter is a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine. It is sometimes shortened to carb in North America and the United Kingdom....
(1876) - Luigi Emanueli (1883–1959), engineer. Inventor of oil-filled cable (1924)
- Federico FagginFederico FagginFederico Faggin , who received in 2010 the National Medal of Technology and Innovation by Barack Obama, the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on scientists, engineers, and inventors, at the White House in Washington, is an Italian-born and naturalized U.S...
(born 1941), physicist and electrical engineer, designed first microprocessorMicroprocessorA microprocessor incorporates the functions of a computer's central processing unit on a single integrated circuit, or at most a few integrated circuits. It is a multipurpose, programmable device that accepts digital data as input, processes it according to instructions stored in its memory, and...
(1970–1971) - Enrico ForlaniniEnrico ForlaniniEnrico Forlanini was an Italian engineer, inventor and aeronautical pioneer, well known for his works on helicopters, aircraft, hydrofoils and dirigibles. He was born in Milan...
(1848–1930), engineer and aeronautical pioneer. Inventor of the helicopterHelicopterA helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
(1877) and hydrofoilHydrofoilA hydrofoil is a foil which operates in water. They are similar in appearance and purpose to airfoils.Hydrofoils can be artificial, such as the rudder or keel on a boat, the diving planes on a submarine, a surfboard fin, or occur naturally, as with fish fins, the flippers of aquatic mammals, the...
(1900) - Giovanni da Fontana (c. 1395–1455), engineer, designed a surface-running rocket-powered torpedo for setting enemy ships on fire (1420)
- Francesco Lana de TerziFrancesco Lana de TerziFrancesco Lana de Terzi was an Italian Jesuit, mathematician, naturalist and aeronautics pioneer...
(1631–1687), Jesuit, mathematician, and naturalist. Called the father of aeronauticsAeronauticsAeronautics is the science involved with the study, design, and manufacturing of airflight-capable machines, or the techniques of operating aircraft and rocketry within the atmosphere...
for his pioneering efforts - Leonardo da VinciLeonardo da VinciLeonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
(1452–1519), artistArtistAn artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
, engineer, and scientist. Perhaps no one in historyHistoryHistory is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
achieved so much in so many different fields - Giovanni LuppisGiovanni LuppisGiovanni Biagio Luppis von Rammer was an officer of the Austrian Navy who had the idea of the first self-propelled torpedo.-Early years:...
(1813–1875), engineer and officer, co-inventor with Robert WhiteheadRobert WhiteheadRobert Whitehead was an English engineer. He developed the first effective self-propelled naval torpedo. His company, located in the Austrian naval centre in Fiume, was the world leader in torpedo development and production up to the First World War.- Early life:He was born the son of a...
, of the torpedoTorpedoThe modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
(1860) - Arturo Malignani (1865–1939), engineer, developed the technique of coating components of incandescent lamps with red phosphorusPhosphorusPhosphorus is the chemical element that has the symbol P and atomic number 15. A multivalent nonmetal of the nitrogen group, phosphorus as a mineral is almost always present in its maximally oxidized state, as inorganic phosphate rocks...
(1895) - Giovanni Battista Marzi (1860–1927), engineer who invented the first automatic telephone central in the world (1886) and electric loudspeakerLoudspeakerA loudspeaker is an electroacoustic transducer that produces sound in response to an electrical audio signal input. Non-electrical loudspeakers were developed as accessories to telephone systems, but electronic amplification by vacuum tube made loudspeakers more generally useful...
(1906) - Felice MatteucciFelice MatteucciFelice Matteucci was an Italian hydraulic engineer who co-invented an internal combustion engine with Eugenio Barsanti. It is not known whether they were the first to do so, as the patent in question was lost....
(1808–1887), hydraulic engineer, co-inventor with Eugenio BarsantiEugenio BarsantiFather Eugenio Barsanti , also named Nicolò, was an Italian engineer, who invented a form of the internal combustion engine. It is not known whether he was the first to develop such an engine, as the patent request in question has been lost.Barsanti was born in Pietrasanta, Tuscany...
, of the internal combustion engineInternal combustion engineThe internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high -pressure gases produced by combustion apply direct force to some component of the engine...
(1854) - Antonio MeucciAntonio MeucciAntonio Santi Giuseppe Meucci was an Italian inventor, a compatriot of revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi. He was best known for developing a voice communication apparatus which several sources credit as the first telephone....
(1808–1889), chemical and mechanical engineer. Inventor of the telephoneInvention of the telephoneThe invention of the telephone is the culmination of work done by many individuals, the history of which involves a collection of claims and counterclaims. The development of the modern telephone involved an array of lawsuits founded upon the patent claims of several individuals...
(1871) - Carlo Montemagno (... – ...), biomedical engineer. Inventor of the first molecular motor
- Peter Mule (1891–1960), engineer, founder of Mole-RichardsonMole-RichardsonMole-Richardson, also known as Mole, is a stage lighting instrument and motion picture lighting manufacturing company based in Hollywood, California...
lighting kits - Camillo OlivettiCamillo OlivettiCamillo Olivetti was an Italian electrical engineer and founder of Olivetti & Co., SpA., the Italian manufacturer of computers, printers and other business machines.-References and notes:...
(1868–1943), electrical engineer, founder of OlivettiOlivettiOlivetti S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of computers, printers and other business machines.- Founding :The company was founded as a typewriter manufacturer in 1908 in Ivrea, near Turin, by Camillo Olivetti. The firm was mainly developed by his son Adriano Olivetti... - Pier Giorgio Perotto (1930–2002), engineer, pioneer in computer science; designer of the Olivetti Programma 101Programma 101The Programma 101 was the first commercially produced "desktop computer". Launched by Olivetti at the 1964 New York World's Fair, volume production started in 1965. A futuristic design for its time, the Programma 101 was priced at $3,200...
programmable electronic calculator (1965) - Giovanni Battista PiattiGiovanni Battista PiattiGiovanni Battista Piatti was an Italian civil engineer.Civil engineer from Milan, inventor of the pneumatic rock-drilling machine that, with small modifications, was used in the Mont Cenis Tunnel...
(1812–1867), civil engineer. Inventor of the pneumatic rock-drilling machine - Giuseppe Pirelli (... – ...), engineer. Inventor of the electric cableCableA cable is two or more wires running side by side and bonded, twisted or braided together to form a single assembly. In mechanics cables, otherwise known as wire ropes, are used for lifting, hauling and towing or conveying force through tension. In electrical engineering cables are used to carry...
(1884) - Ignazio PorroIgnazio PorroIgnazio Porro was an Italian inventor of optical instruments.Porro's name is most closely associated with the prism system which he invented around 1850 and which is used in the construction of Porro prism binoculars....
(1801–1875), engineer and optician, invented Porro prismPorro prismIn optics, a Porro prism, named for its inventor Ignazio Porro, is a type of reflection prism used in optical instruments to alter the orientation of an image....
binocular (1875) - Piero Puricelli (1883–1951), civil engineer and entrepreneur, called the father of the motorway
- Agostino RamelliAgostino RamelliAgostino Ramelli was an engineer who designed the "book wheel" or "reading wheel".During the Siege of La Rochelle , Agostino successfully engineered a mine under a bastion and breached the fortification, making him popular with his commander, Henri d'Anjou, who later became Henri III of France.In...
(1531–1600), engineer, invented the hydraulic motorHydraulic motorA hydraulic motor is a mechanical actuator that converts hydraulic pressure and flow into torque and angular displacement . The hydraulic motor is the rotary counterpart of the hydraulic cylinder....
(1588) - Raffaele RossettiRaffaele RossettiRaffaele Rossetti was an Italian engineer and military naval officer who sank the main battleship of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the end of World War I. He was also a politician of the Italian Republican Party.-Biography:...
(1881–1951), engineer and military naval officer, creator of the first human torpedoHuman torpedoHuman torpedoes or manned torpedoes are a type of rideable submarine used as secret naval weapons in World War II. The basic design is still in use today; they are a type of diver propulsion vehicle.... - Carmelo Scuderi (1925–2002), engineer. Inventor of the Scuderi EngineScuderi EngineThe Scuderi Engine is a split cycle, internal combustion engine invented by Carmelo J. Scuderi . Scuderi Group, an engineering and licensing company based in West Springfield, Massachusetts and founded by Carmelo Scuderi’s children, is testing a working prototype of the engine that was officially...
- Germain SommeillerGermain SommeillerGermain Sommeiller was a civil engineer from Savoy. He directed the construction of the Fréjus Rail Tunnel between France and Italy, also known as the Mont Cenis Tunnel. This was the first of a series of major tunnels built in the late 19th century to connect northern and southern Europe through...
(1815–1871), civil engineer. He directed the construction of the Fréjus Rail TunnelFréjus Rail TunnelThe Fréjus Rail Tunnel is a rail tunnel of length in the European Alps, carrying the Turin–Modane railway through Mount Cenis to an end on connection with the Culoz–Modane railway and linking Modane, France and Bardonecchia, Italy...
between FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
; introduced the first industrial pneumatic drill for tunnel digging - Lorenzo Thione (born 1978), engineer, co-founder with Barney Pell, of PowersetPowerset (company)Powerset is a Microsoft owned company based in San Francisco, California that, in 2006, was developing a natural language search engine for the Internet....
, Inc., an innovative search startup founded in 2005 and sold to Microsoft in 2008 - Juanelo TurrianoJuanelo TurrianoJuanelo Turriano was an Italo-Spanish clockmaker, engineer and mathematician. He was born in Cremona.Called to Spain in 1529 by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, he was appointed Court Clock Master and built the Cristalino, an astronomical clock that made him famous in his time. Philip II of Spain...
(c. 1500–1585), clockmaker, engineer and mathematician. He built the Artificio de JuaneloArtificio de JuaneloThe Artificio de Juanelo was the name of two devices built in Toledo in the 16th century by Juanelo Turriano. They were designed to supply the city with a source of readily available water by lifting it from the Tagus river to the Alcázar...
Explorers
- António de Noli (1415/1419 – c.CircaCirca , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
1497), explorer for PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. Discovered some of the Cape VerdeCape VerdeThe Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...
islands in 1460 - Giovanni Battista BelzoniGiovanni Battista BelzoniGiovanni Battista Belzoni , sometimes known as The Great Belzoni, was a prolific Venetian explorer of Egyptian antiquities.-Early life:...
(1778–1823), explorer, engineer, and amateur archaeologist, often regarded as one of the first Egyptologists - John CabotJohn CabotJohn Cabot was an Italian navigator and explorer whose 1497 discovery of parts of North America is commonly held to have been the first European encounter with the continent of North America since the Norse Vikings in the eleventh century...
(Giovanni Caboto) (c. 1450 – c. 1499), explorer for EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. In the summer of 1497, he crossed the Atlantic and discovered the mainland of North AmericaNorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas... - Christopher ColumbusChristopher ColumbusChristopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
(Cristoforo Colombo) (1451–1506), explorer for SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Sailed in 1492 and discovered the "New World" of the AmericasAmericasThe Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily... - Henri de TontiHenri de TontiHenri de Tonti was an Italian-born soldier, explorer, and fur trader in the service of France.-Early life:Henri de Tonti, a Sicilian, was mostly likely born near Gaeta, Italy in either 1649 or 1650. He was the son of Lorenzo de Tonti, a financier and former governor of Gaeta...
(1649/1650–1704), explorer for FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Founded the first European settlement in the lower Mississippi River ValleyMississippi RiverThe Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
in 1686 - Giovanni da Pian del CarpineGiovanni da Pian del CarpineGiovanni da Pian del Carpine, or John of Plano Carpini or John of Pian de Carpine or Joannes de Plano was one of the first Europeans to enter the court of the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire. He is the author of the earliest important Western account of northern and central Asia, Rus, and other...
(c. 1180–1252), Franciscan friar, first noteworthy European traveller in the Mongol EmpireMongol EmpireThe Mongol Empire , initially named as Greater Mongol State was a great empire during the 13th and 14th centuries... - Giovanni da Verrazzano (1485–1528), explorer for FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. First European to sight New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Narragansett baysNarragansett BayNarragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 mi2 , the Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor, and includes a small archipelago... - Alessandro MalaspinaAlessandro MalaspinaAlessandro Malaspina was an Italian nobleman who spent most of his life as a Spanish naval officer and explorer...
(1754–1810), nobleman who spent most of his life as a SpanishSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
naval officer and explorer - Umberto NobileUmberto NobileUmberto Nobile was an Italian aeronautical engineer and Arctic explorer. Nobile was a developer and promoter of semi-rigid airships during the Golden Age of Aviation between the two World Wars...
(1885–1978), engineer and Arctic explorer. The first man to fly over the North PoleNorth PoleThe North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface... - Antonio PigafettaAntonio PigafettaAntonio Pigafetta was an Italian scholar and explorer from the Republic of Venice. He travelled with the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and his crew on their voyage to the Indies. During the expedition, he served as Magellan's assistant and kept an accurate journal which later assisted him...
(c. 1491 – c. 1534), navigator and writer who accompanied MagellanFerdinand MagellanFerdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer. He was born in Sabrosa, in northern Portugal, and served King Charles I of Spain in search of a westward route to the "Spice Islands" ....
in the first expedition of circumnavigation of the worldCircumnavigationCircumnavigation – literally, "navigation of a circumference" – refers to travelling all the way around an island, a continent, or the entire planet Earth.- Global circumnavigation :... - Marco PoloMarco PoloMarco Polo was a Venetian merchant traveler from the Venetian Republic whose travels are recorded in Il Milione, a book which did much to introduce Europeans to Central Asia and China. He learned about trading whilst his father and uncle, Niccolò and Maffeo, travelled through Asia and apparently...
(c. 1254–1324), explorer and merchant, famous for his travels in central AsiaCentral AsiaCentral Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
and ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture... - Pierre Savorgnan de BrazzaPierre Savorgnan de BrazzaPietro Paolo Savorgnan di Brazzà, best known as Pierre Paul François Camille Savorgnan de Brazza , was a Franco-Italian explorer, born in Italy and later naturalized Frenchman...
(1852–1905), explorer for FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Famous for having added an area three times the size of FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to the French empireFrench colonial empireThe French colonial empire was the set of territories outside Europe that were under French rule primarily from the 17th century to the late 1960s. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the colonial empire of France was the second-largest in the world behind the British Empire. The French colonial empire...
in AfricaAfricaAfrica is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area... - Amerigo Vespucci (1454–1512), explorer. Discovered the Amazon riverAmazon RiverThe Amazon of South America is the second longest river in the world and by far the largest by waterflow with an average discharge greater than the next seven largest rivers combined...
in South AmericaSouth AmericaSouth America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. The name for the AmericasAmericasThe Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
is derived from his given name
Fictional characters
|
Il Dottore Il Dottore or the Doctor is a commedia dell'arte stock character, one of the vecchi or old men whose function in a scenario is to be an obstacle to the young lovers... Gianduja (commedia dell'arte) Gianduja is one of the masks of the Italian Commedia dell'Arte, typically representing the town of Turin .The mask depicts an honest peasant of Piedmontese countryland, with a certain inclination for wine , gastronomy and beautiful girls, while strictly faithful to his lover Giacometta, who is... Harlequin Harlequin or Arlecchino in Italian, Arlequin in French, and Arlequín in Spanish is the most popularly known of the zanni or comic servant characters from the Italian Commedia dell'arte and its descendant, the Harlequinade.-Origins:... Romeo Montague Romeo is one of the fictional protagonists in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Romeo is the son of old Montague and his wife, who secretly loves and marries Juliet, a member of the rival House of Capulet... |
Pantalone Pantalone, or Pantalone del bisognosi, Italian for 'Pantalone of the needy', is one of the most important principal characters found in commedia del arte... Pedrolino Pedrolino is a zanni, or servant character in the commedia dell'arte. His name is essentially the same as "Pete" or "Petey" in English—a diminutive form of the name Peter. He is normally portrayed as personable, charming and kind, to the point of excess—he blames himself for wrongs never done and... Pierrot Pierrot is a stock character of pantomime and Commedia dell'Arte whose origins are in the late 17th-century Italian troupe of players performing in Paris and known as the Comédie-Italienne; the name is a hypocorism of Pierre , via the suffix -ot. His character in postmodern popular culture—in... |
Pinocchio The Adventures of Pinocchio is a novel for children by Italian author Carlo Collodi, written in Florence. The first half was originally a serial between 1881 and 1883, and then later completed as a book for children in February 1883. It is about the mischievous adventures of Pinocchio , an... Pulcinella Pulcinella, ; often called Punch or Punchinello in English, Polichinelle in French, is a classical character that originated in the commedia dell'arte of the 17th century and became a stock character in Neapolitan puppetry.... Scaramouche Scaramouche is a historical novel by Rafael Sabatini, originally published in 1921.It was subsequently adapted into a play by Barbara Field and into feature films, first in 1923 starring Ramón Novarro, Scaramouche , and a remake in 1952 with Stewart Granger. A romantic adventure, Scaramouche tells... Trivelino Trivelino is a zanni character of the commedia dell'arte.Trivelino is similar to Arlecchino, like him, he represents a stupid servant or valet. Trivelino is also similar to Scapin, Brighella, or Mezzetin.... |
Filmmakers
- Filoteo Alberini (1865–1937), film director, one of the pioneers of cinemaFilmA film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
; devised the wide screen movies (1914) - Gianni AmelioGianni AmelioGianni Amelio is an Italian film director.-Biography:Amelio was born in San Pietro di Magisano, province of Catanzaro, Calabria. His father moved to Argentina soon after his birth. He spent his youth and adolescence with his mother and his grandmother...
(born 1945), film director. He achieved international fame with The Stolen ChildrenThe Stolen ChildrenThe Stolen Children is a 1992 Italian film directed by Gianni Amelio. It tells the story of a policeman who bonds with two children as he escorts them to an orphanage.-Cast:* Enrico Lo Verso - Antonio* Valentina Scalici - Rosetta...
(winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival1992 Cannes Film Festival- Jury :*Gérard Depardieu *John Boorman *Carlo Di Palma *Jamie Lee Curtis *Joële Van Effenterre *Lester James Peries *Nana Djordjadze *Pedro Almodóvar *René Cleitman...
) - Michelangelo AntonioniMichelangelo AntonioniMichelangelo Antonioni, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian modernist film director, screenwriter, editor and short story writer.- Personal life :...
(1912–2007), film director. His most successful motion pictures internationally were L'avventuraL'avventuraL'Avventura is a 1960 Italian film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni and developed from a story he created. Monica Vitti and Gabriele Ferzetti star. It is noted for its careful pacing, which puts a focus on visual composition and character development, as well as for its unusual narrative structure...
(1960) and Blow-upBlow-Up-History:Claudio Camaione and Paolo Cilione came to New York City in the late 1990s, then further on to Southern California to build their studio for recording and film editing in a villa overlooking Silver Lake...
(1966) - Dario ArgentoDario ArgentoDario Argento is an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his work in the horror film genre, particularly in the subgenre known as giallo, and for his influence on modern horror and slasher movies....
(born 1940), film director, producer and screenwriter. Among his best known films we find The Bird with the Crystal PlumageThe Bird with the Crystal PlumageThe Bird with the Crystal Plumage is a 1970 giallo suspense thriller directed by Dario Argento . The film is considered a landmark in the Italian giallo genre...
(1970), Deep RedDeep RedProfondo Rosso is a 1975 giallo film directed and written by Dario Argento and co-written by Bernardino Zapponi. It was released on March 7, 1975 in Italy and June 11, 1976 in the United States. The film's score was composed and performed by Goblin...
(1975) and SuspiriaSuspiriaSuspiria is a 1977 Italian horror film directed by Dario Argento and co-written by Argento and Daria Nicolodi. The film follows an American ballet student who transfers to a prestigious dance academy in Germany, only to discover that it is controlled by a coven of witches. The film's score was...
(1977) - Pupi AvatiPupi AvatiGiuseppe Avati, better known as Pupi Avati is an Italian film director, producer, and screenwriter.-Early life and career:...
(born 1938), film director, producer and screenwriter. Some of his most successful films were Impiegati (1985), Christmas PresentChristmas Present- References :*...
(1986) and The Last Minute (1987) - Marco Bellocchio (born 1939), film director, screenwriter and actor. Known for his debut film Fists in the PocketFists in the PocketFists in the Pocket is a 1965 Italian film directed by Marco Bellocchio. It was Bellocchio's debut film.In an interview, writer Rex Pickett described Fists in the Pocket as one of the films he "saw in film school that transformed" him.- Synopsis :A young man takes drastic measures to rid his...
(1965) - Roberto BenigniRoberto BenigniRoberto Remigio Benigni, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI is an Italian actor, comedian, screenwriter and director of film, theatre and television.- Early years :...
(born 1952), film director and actor. One of the most popular comics of Italian cinema; in 1997 he wrote, directed and starred in the international hit Life is BeautifulLife Is BeautifulLife Is Beautiful is a 1997 Italian film which tells the story of a Jewish Italian, Guido Orefice , who must employ his fertile imagination to help his family during their internment in a Nazi concentration camp.At the 71st Academy Awards in 1999, Benigni won the Academy Award for Best Actor and... - Bernardo BertolucciBernardo BertolucciBernardo Bertolucci is an Italian film director and screenwriter, whose films include The Conformist, Last Tango in Paris, 1900, The Last Emperor and The Dreamers...
(born 1940), film director and screenwriter. Last Tango in ParisLast Tango in ParisLast Tango in Paris is a 1972 Italian romantic drama film directed by Bernardo Bertolucci which portrays a recent American widower who takes up an anonymous sexual relationship with a young, soon-to-be-married Parisian woman...
(1972) brought him international fame - Luigi ComenciniLuigi ComenciniLuigi Comencini was an Italian film director. Together with Dino Risi, Ettore Scola and Mario Monicelli, he was considered among the masters of the commedia all'italiana genre....
(1916–2007), film director. Leading figure in Italian cinema; best known for his film Bread, Love and Dreams (1953) - Giuseppe De Santis (1917–1997), film director; best known for his direction of Bitter RiceBitter RiceBitter Rice is a 1949 Italian film made by Lux Film, written and directed by Giuseppe De Santis. Produced by Dino De Laurentiis, starring Silvana Mangano, Raf Vallone, Doris Dowling and Vittorio Gassman, Bitter Rice was a commercial success in Europe and America. It was a product of the Italian...
(1949), considered the first successful Neorealist film - Vittorio De SetaVittorio De SetaVittorio De Seta was an Italian cinema director and screenwriter, considered one of the Italian cinema's great imaginative realists of the Sixties.- Biography :...
(born 1923), film director. He made nine such short documentaries over the decade and in 1960 made his feature film directorial debut with the acclaimed Banditi a OrgosoloBanditi a OrgosoloBanditi a Orgosolo is a 1960 Italian film drama directed by Vittorio De Seta. The film stars Vittorina Pisano. De Seta won an Award for the film at the Venice Film Festival.-Cast:*Vittorina Pisano ... Mintonia... - Vittorio De SicaVittorio de SicaVittorio De Sica was an Italian director and actor, a leading figure in the neorealist movement....
(1901/1902–1974), film director and actor. His Shoeshine (1946), The Bicycle Thief (1948), and Umberto D.Umberto D.Umberto D. is a 1952 Italian neorealist film, directed by Vittorio de Sica. Most of the actors were non-professional, including Carlo Battisti, who plays the title role...
(1952) are classics of postwar Italian neorealism - Ruggero DeodatoRuggero DeodatoRuggero Deodato is an Italian film director and screen writer, best known for directing violent and gory horror films. Deodato is infamous for his 1980 film Cannibal Holocaust.- Biography :...
(born 1939), film director, actor and screen writer. Creator of one of the most infamous splatter films of all time, 1979's neo-realist Amazonian nightmare Cannibal HolocaustCannibal HolocaustCannibal Holocaust is a 1980 Italian horror film directed by Ruggero Deodato from a screenplay by Gianfranco Clerici. Filmed in the Amazon Rainforest and dealing with indigenous tribes, it was cast mostly with United States actors and filmed in English to achieve wider distribution... - Federico FelliniFederico FelliniFederico Fellini, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI , was an Italian film director and scriptwriter. Known for a distinct style that blends fantasy and baroque images, he is considered one of the most influential and widely revered filmmakers of the 20th century...
(1920–1993), film director. Won Oscars for La StradaLa StradaLa Strada is a 1954 Italian neorealist drama directed by Federico Fellini in which a naïve young woman is sold to a brutish man and goes on the road as a part of his itinerant show....
(1954), Le Notti di Cabiria (1957), 8 1/2 (1963) and AmarcordAmarcordAmarcord is a 1973 Italian comedy-drama film directed by Federico Fellini, a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age tale about Titta, an adolescent boy growing up among an eccentric cast of characters in the fictional town of Borgo in 1930s Fascist Italy...
(1973); one of the 20th century's most influential movie directorFilm directorA film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
s - Marco Ferreri (1928–1997), film director. The his best-known film is La Grande BouffeLa Grande BouffeLa Grande Bouffe is a 1973 French–Italian film directed by Marco Ferreri. It stars Marcello Mastroianni, Ugo Tognazzi, Michel Piccoli and Philippe Noiret...
(1973) - Lucio FulciLucio FulciLucio Fulci was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. He is perhaps best known for his directorial work on gore films, including Zombie and The Beyond , although he made films in genres as diverse as giallo, western, and comedy...
(1927–1996), film director, screenwriter and actor. He is perhaps best known for his directorial work on goreSplatter filmA splatter film or gore film is a subgenre of horror film that deliberately focuses on graphic portrayals of gore and graphic violence. These films, through the use of special effects and excessive blood and guts, tend to display an overt interest in the vulnerability of the human body and the...
films, including Zombi 2Zombi 2Zombi 2 is a 1979 zombie horror film directed by Lucio Fulci. It is the best-known of Fulci's films and made him a horror icon. Though the title suggests this is a sequel to Zombi Zombi 2 (also known as Zombie, Island of the Living Dead, Zombie Island, Zombie Flesh Eaters and Woodoo) is a 1979...
(1979) and The Beyond (1981) - Matteo GarroneMatteo GarroneMatteo Garrone is an Italian film maker.Born in Rome, the son of a theatre critic, Nico Garrone and a photographer, in 1996 Garrone won the Sacher d'Oro, an award sponsored by Nanni Moretti, with the short film Silhouette, that became one of the three episodes that are on his first long film ...
(born 1968), film director; best known for his film Gomorrah (2008) - Pietro GermiPietro GermiPietro Germi was an Italian actor, screenwriter, and director. Germi was born in Genoa, Liguria, to a lower-middle class family. He was a messenger and briefly attended nautical school before deciding on a career in acting.He studied acting and directing at Rome's Centro Sperimentale di...
(1914–1974), film director and actor. The film Divorce Italian Style (1961) was a huge worldwide box-office hit which earned him an Oscar for best screenplay - Alberto LattuadaAlberto LattuadaAlberto Lattuada was an Italian film director.Lattuada was born in Milan, the son of composer Felice Lattuada...
(1914–2005), film director. Was a major figure in Italian cinema of the period after World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Best known for co-directing with Fellini on his first film, Variety LightsVariety LightsVariety Lights is a 1950 Italian film directed and produced by Federico Fellini and Alberto LattuadaThe film launched Fellini's directorial career, but was a collaboration with Alberto Lattuada...
(1950) - Sergio LeoneSergio LeoneSergio Leone was an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter most associated with the "Spaghetti Western" genre.Leone's film-making style includes juxtaposing extreme close-up shots with lengthy long shots...
(1929–1989), film director. He is mostly associated with the "Spaghetti WesternSpaghetti WesternSpaghetti Western, also known as Italo-Western, is a nickname for a broad sub-genre of Western films that emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's unique and much copied film-making style and international box-office success, so named by American critics because most were produced and...
" genre, especially the dollar trilogy; one of the most influential directorsFilm directorA film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
of his generation - Mario MonicelliMario MonicelliMario Monicelli was an Italian director and screenwriter and one of the masters of the Commedia all'Italiana , three times nominated for Oscar.-Biography:...
(1915–2010), film director. One of the masters of the Commedia all'ItalianaCommedia all'italianaCommedia all'italiana or Italian-style comedy is an Italian film genre. It is widely considered to have started with Mario Monicelli's I soliti ignoti in 1958 and derives its name from the title of Pietro Germi's Divorzio all'italiana .-Stars:Vittorio Gassman, Ugo... - Nanni MorettiNanni MorettiGiovanni "Nanni" Moretti is an Italian film director, producer, screenwriter and actor.-Life and work:Moretti was born in Bruneck, South Tyrol , in 1953 to parents who were teachers...
(born 1953), film director. He is known for his films Caro diarioCaro diarioCaro diario is an Italian language, semi-autobiographical film in the style of a documentary directed by Nanni Moretti in 1993. Moretti also played the central character.-Plot:...
(1993) and The Son's RoomThe Son's RoomThe Son's Room is a 2001 Italian film directed by Nanni Moretti. It depicts the psychological effects on a family and their life after the death of their son...
(2001) - Ermanno OlmiErmanno OlmiErmanno Olmi is a renowned Italian film director.-Biography:Olmi was born in Bergamo, Lombardy. He is married to Loredana Detto, who played Antonietta Masetti in Il Posto....
(born 1931), film director; best known for his internationally successful The Tree of Wooden ClogsThe Tree of Wooden ClogsThe Tree of Wooden Clogs is a 1978 Italian film written and directed by Ermanno Olmi. The film concerns Lombard peasant life in a cascina of the late 19th century. It has some similarities with the earlier Italian neorealist movement, in that it focuses on the lives of the poor, and the parts...
(1978) - Ferzan OzpetekFerzan ÖzpetekFerzan Özpetek is an Italian-Turkish film director and screenwriter, residing in Italy.- Biography :Ferzan Ozpetek was born in Istanbul in 1959. When he was a young student in 1976, he decided to move to Italy to study Cinema History at Sapienza University of Rome...
(born 1959), film director and screenwriter. Among his best known films we find The Ignorant Fairies (2001) and Facing WindowsFacing WindowsFacing Windows is a 2003 Italian movie directed by Ferzan Özpetek.Tagline: Desire knows no bounds.-Plot:...
(2003) - Pier Paolo PasoliniPier Paolo PasoliniPier Paolo Pasolini was an Italian film director, poet, writer, and intellectual. Pasolini distinguished himself as a poet, journalist, philosopher, linguist, novelist, playwright, filmmaker, newspaper and magazine columnist, actor, painter and political figure...
(1922–1975), film director and writer. His films include Mamma RomaMamma RomaMamma Roma is a 1962 film directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini.- Story :An ex-prostitute, Mamma Roma , tries to start a new life selling vegetables with her 16-year-old son Ettore...
(1962), The Gospel According to St. MatthewThe Gospel According to St. Matthew (film)The Gospel According to St. Matthew is a 1964 Italian film directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini. It is a retelling of the story of Jesus Christ, from the Nativity through the Resurrection....
(1964), Oedipus Rex (1967) and Teorema (1968) - Giovanni PastroneGiovanni PastroneGiovanni Pastrone, also known by his artistic name Piero Fosco , was an Italian film pioneer, director, screenwriter, actor and technician.Pastrone was born in Montechiaro d'Asti...
(1883–1959), film director and producer. He conceived a colossal film designed to revolutionize moviemaking, a goal he realized with CabiriaCabiriaCabiria is a silent movie from the early years of Italy's movie industry, directed by Giovanni Pastrone . The movie is set in ancient Sicily, Carthage, and Cirta during the period of the Second Punic War . It follows a melodramatic main plot about an abducted little girl, Cabiria, and features...
(1914) - Elio Petri (1929–1982), film director and screenwriter. Investigation of a Citizen Above SuspicionInvestigation of a Citizen Above SuspicionInvestigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion is a 1970 Italian film crime drama directed by Elio Petri. It is a dramatic, psychological, black-humoured satire on corruption in high office, telling the story of a top police officer who kills his lover and then tests whether the police would charge ...
(1970), is generally considered his masterpiece - Gillo PontecorvoGillo PontecorvoGillo Pontecorvo was an Italian filmmaker. He worked as a film director for more than a decade before his best known film La battaglia di Algeri was released...
(1919–2006), film director; best known for authoring The Battle of Algiers (1966) - Francesco RosiFrancesco RosiFrancesco Rosi is an Italian film director. He is the father of actress Carolina Rosi.-Biography:After studying Law, but hoping to study film, Rosi entered the industry as an assistant to Luchino Visconti on La Terra trema...
(born 1922), film director; best known for his masterpiece Salvatore GiulianoSalvatore Giuliano (film)Salvatore Giuliano is a 1962 Italian film directed by Francesco Rosi. Shot in a neo-realist documentary, non-linear style, it follows the lives of those involved with the famous Sicilian bandit, Salvatore Giuliano...
(1962) - Roberto RosselliniRoberto RosselliniRoberto Rossellini was an Italian film director and screenwriter. Rossellini was one of the directors of the Italian neorealist cinema, contributing films such as Roma città aperta to the movement.-Early life:Born in Rome, Roberto Rossellini lived on the Via Ludovisi, where Benito Mussolini had...
(1906–1977), film director. His films Rome, Open CityRome, open cityRome, Open City is a 1945 Italian war drama film, directed by Roberto Rossellini. The picture features Aldo Fabrizi, Anna Magnani and Marcello Pagliero, and is set in Rome during the Nazi occupation in 1944...
(1945) and PaisàPaisàPaisà is a 1946 Italian film directed by Roberto Rossellini, the second of a trilogy by Rossellini. It is divided into six episodes. They are set in the Italian Campaign during World War II when Nazi Germany was losing the war against the Allies, using themes such as the difficulty of communication...
(1946) focussed international attention on the Italian Neorealist movement in films - Gabriele SalvatoresGabriele SalvatoresGabriele Salvatores , is an Italian Academy Award-winning film director and screenwriter.-Biography:Born in Naples, Salvatores debuted as a theatre director in 1972, founding in Milan the Teatro dell'Elfo, for which he directed several avant-garde pieces until 1989.In that year, he directed his...
(born 1950), film director and screenwriter; best known for his film Mediterraneo (1991) - Michele SoaviMichele SoaviMichele Soavi, sometimes known as Michael Soavi is an Italian filmmaker.-Career:Michele Soavi was born in Milan. As a teenager, Soavi enrolled in creative arts classes and developed into a talented actor. He took acting lessons at Milan's Fersen Studios, but his greatest talent was working behind...
(born 1957), film director; best known for his film Cemetery ManCemetery ManCemetery Man is a 1994 comedy horror film directed by Michele Soavi. A co-production of Italy, France, and Germany, the screenplay by Gianni Romoli was based on the 1991 novel by Tiziano Sclavi...
(1994) - Silvio SoldiniSilvio SoldiniSilvio Soldini is an Italian film director.Soldini has received 11 awards in his career as of June 2007 and 14 nominations.-Filmography:*Drimage *Paesaggio con figure *Giulia in ottobre...
(born 1958), film director. Among his best known films we find Bread and TulipsBread and TulipsBread and Tulips or Pane e tulipani is an award-winning 2000 romance comedy film directed by Italian Director Silvio Soldini, and starring Licia Maglietta and Bruno Ganz...
(1999) and Agata e la tempesta (2004) - Paolo SorrentinoPaolo SorrentinoPaolo Sorrentino is an Italian film director and screenwriter. He was born in Naples.Sorrentino's first film as screenwriter, Polvere di Napoli, was released in 1998. He began directing several short movies, like L'amore non ha confini, in 1998, and La notte lunga, in 2001...
(born 1970), film director and screenwriter. He is known for his film The Consequences of LoveThe Consequences of LoveThe Consequences of Love is a 2004 Italian psychological thriller film directed by Paolo Sorrentino. It tells the story of a lonely and secretive Italian businessman living in a Swiss hotel. The film competed at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. It won five David di Donatello awards including Best...
(2004) - Paolo and Vittorio TavianiPaolo and Vittorio TavianiPaolo and Vittorio Taviani are noted Italian film directors and screenwriters...
(born 1931 and 1929), have directed together several successful movies. Among those are: Padre PadronePadre PadronePadre padrone is an Italian film directed by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani. The Tavianis used both professional and non-professional actors from the Sardinian countryside....
(1977), The Night of the Shooting StarsThe Night of the Shooting StarsThe Night of the Shooting Stars is a 1982 Italian fantasy war drama film directed by Paolo Taviani and Vittorio Taviani. It was entered into the 1982 Cannes Film Festival where it won the Jury Special Grand Prix....
(1982) and KaosKaos (film)Kaos is a 1984 drama film directed by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani based on short stories by Luigi Pirandello...
(1984) - Giuseppe TornatoreGiuseppe Tornatore-Life and career:Born in Bagheria near Palermo, Tornatore developed an interest in acting and the theatre from at least the age of 16 and put on works by Luigi Pirandello and Eduardo De Filippo.He worked initially as a freelance photographer...
(born 1956), film director. He is best known for his masterpiece Cinema Paradiso (1988) - Luchino ViscontiLuchino ViscontiLuchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo was an Italian theatre, opera and cinema director, as well as a screenwriter. He is best known for his films The Leopard and Death in Venice .-Life:...
(1906–1976), film and theatre director; called the father of neorealismItalian neorealismItalian neorealism is a style of film characterized by stories set amongst the poor and working class, filmed on location, frequently using nonprofessional actors...
for his early films OssessioneOssessioneOssessione is a 1943 film based on the novel, The Postman Always Rings Twice, by James M. Cain. Luchino Visconti’s first feature film, it is considered by many to be the first Italian neorealist film, though there is some debate about whether such a categorization is accurate.- Historical context...
(1943) and La terra tremaLa terra tremaLa terra trema is a 1948 Italian dramatic film directed by Luchino Visconti...
(1948) - Lina WertmüllerLina WertmüllerLina Wertmüller is an Italian film writer and director of aristocratic Swiss descent. In 1976, she became the first woman ever to be nominated for an Academy Award for Directing with the film Seven Beauties.-Biography:...
(born 1928), film director. She achieved international fame with The Seduction of MimiThe Seduction of MimiMimí metallurgico ferito nell'onore is an Italian language film directed by Lina Wertmüller, starring Giancarlo Giannini and Mariangela Melato. It was released in the United States as The Seduction of Mimi, although a literal translation of the title would be "Mimi the metalworker, wounded in honor"...
(1972), a satire on sexual hypocrisy, and Love and AnarchyLove and AnarchyLove and Anarchy is a 1973 film directed by Lina Wertmüller and starring Giancarlo Giannini and Mariangela Melato. The story, set in Fascist Italy before the outbreak of World War II, centers on Giannini's character, an anarchist who stays in a brothel while preparing to kill Benito Mussolini...
(1973) - Franco ZeffirelliFranco ZeffirelliFranco Zeffirelli KBE is an Italian director and producer of films and television. He is also a director and designer of operas and a former senator for the Italian center-right Forza Italia party....
(born 1923), film director. Among his major films are three Shakespeare adaptations: The Taming of the ShrewThe Taming of the Shrew (1967 film)The Taming of the Shrew is a 1967 film based on the play of the same name by William Shakespeare about a courtship between two strong-willed people...
(1967), Romeo and JulietRomeo and Juliet (1968 film)Romeo and Juliet is a 1968 British-Italian cinematic adaptation of the William Shakespeare play of the same name.The film was directed and co-written by Franco Zeffirelli, and stars Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey. It won Academy Awards for Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design; it was also...
(1968) and HamletHamlet (1990 film)Hamlet is a 1990 drama film based on the Shakespearean tragedy Hamlet. It was directed by Franco Zeffirelli, with Mel Gibson as the young Prince Hamlet...
(1990) - Valerio ZurliniValerio ZurliniValerio Zurlini was an Italian film director, stage director and screenwriter.-Biography:During his law studies in Rome, he started working in the theatre. In 1943, he joined the Italian resistance. Zurlini became a member of the Italian Communist Party...
(1926–1982), film director, stage director and screenwriter. He is well known for his internationally successful Estate ViolentaEstate ViolentaEstate violenta is a 1959 Italian award-winning black-and-white drama film directed by Valerio Zurlini, depicting a love affair between a young draft-dodging son of a prominent Fascist, portrayed by Jean Louis Trintignant, and a navy officer's widow older than he, portrayed by Eleonora Rossi Drago...
(1959)
Illustrators
- Leonetto CappielloLeonetto CappielloLeonetto Cappiello was an Italian poster art designer who lived in Paris. He is now often called 'the father of modern advertising' because of his innovation in poster design...
(1875–1942), poster art designer. He has been called the father of modern advertising - Adolfo de CarolisAdolfo de CarolisAdolfo de Carolis was an Italian painter, xylographer, illustrator and photographer who had a major importance in the Italian Liberty movement....
(1874–1928), painter, illustrator and wood-engraver - Gabriele Dell'OttoGabriele Dell'OttoGabriele Dell’Otto is an Italian illustrator and author whose works have been published in several countries in the fields of scientific illustration, calendars, lithographies, books, colored graphic folders, and cover work for magazines and video games.-Early life:Dell'Otto was born December 20,...
(born 1973), illustrator and author whose works have been published around the world - Enrico MazzantiEnrico MazzantiEnrico Mazzanti was an Italian engineer and cartoonist , who illustrated the first edition of Pinocchio....
(1850–1910), engineer and cartoonist, who illustrated the first edition of Pinocchio - Bartolomeo PinelliBartolomeo PinelliBartolomeo Pinelli was an Italian illustrator and engraver.-Life:Pinelli was born and died in Rome, the son of a religious statues modeler. Pinelli was educated first in Bologna and then at the Accademia di San Luca in Rome. He lived in a poor quarter of Rome...
(1781–1835), illustrator and engraver. He illustrated in his figures the costumes of the Italian peoples, the great epic poems and numerous other subjects
Etruscan civilization
- MezentiusMezentiusIn Roman mythology, Mezentius was an Etruscan king, and father of Lausus. Sent into exile because of his cruelty, he moved to Latium. He reveled in bloodshed and was overwhelmingly savage on the battlefield, but more significantly to a Roman audience he was a contemptor divum, a "despiser of the...
(... – ...), legendary Etruscan king who reigned at CaereCaereCaere is the Latin name given by the Romans to one of the larger cities of Southern Etruria, the modern Cerveteri, approximately 50-60 kilometres north-northwest of Rome. To the Etruscans it was known as Cisra and to the Greeks as Agylla...
and fought against AeneasAeneasAeneas , in Greco-Roman mythology, was a Trojan hero, the son of the prince Anchises and the goddess Aphrodite. His father was the second cousin of King Priam of Troy, making Aeneas Priam's second cousin, once removed. The journey of Aeneas from Troy , which led to the founding a hamlet south of... - Lars PorsenaLars PorsenaLars Porsena, in Etruscan Pursenas, was an Etruscan king known for his war against the city of Rome. He ruled over the city of Clusium...
(6th cent. BC), legendary Etruscan king, alleged to have besieged Rome in a vain attempt to reinstate Tarquinius Superbus on the throne - Velthur Spurinna (5th cent. BC), noble from Tarquinia, who led an Etruscan contingent to Sicily to aid Athens in the siege of Syracuse (414–413 BC)
- Lars TolumniusLars TolumniusLars Tolumnius was the most famous king of the wealthy Etruscan city-state of Veii, roughly ten miles northwest of Rome, best remembered for initiating the conflict with the fledgling Roman Republic that ended with Veii's destruction...
(... – 428 BC), the most famous king of the wealthy Etruscan city-state of VeiiVeiiVeii was, in ancient times, an important Etrurian city NNW of Rome, Italy; its site lies in Isola Farnese, a village of Municipio XX, an administrative subdivision of the comune of Rome in the Province of Rome... - Caile Vipinas (6th cent. BC), Etruscan leader. He conquered Rome with his brother Aule Vipinas
Ancient Rome
- Scipio Aemilianus (185 BC–129 BC), Roman general famed both for his exploits during the Third Punic WarThird Punic WarThe Third Punic War was the third and last of the Punic Wars fought between the former Phoenician colony of Carthage, and the Roman Republic...
(149–146 BC) and for his subjugation of SpainNumantine WarThe Numantine War was the last conflict of the Celtiberian Wars fought by the Romans to subdue those people along the Ebro. It was a twenty year long conflict between the Celtiberian tribes of Hispania Citerior and the Roman government. It began in 154 BC as a revolt of the Celtiberians of...
(134–133 BC) - Marcus Aemilius LepidusMarcus Aemilius Lepidus (triumvir)Marcus Aemilius Lepidus , was a Roman patrician who rose to become a member of the Second Triumvirate and Pontifex Maximus. His father, Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, had been involved in a rebellion against the Roman Republic.Lepidus was among Julius Caesar's greatest supporters...
(c.CircaCirca , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
89 or 88 BC – late 13 or early 12 BC), Roman statesman, one of the triumvirsSecond TriumvirateThe Second Triumvirate is the name historians give to the official political alliance of Octavius , Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, and Mark Antony, formed on 26 November 43 BC with the enactment of the Lex Titia, the adoption of which marked the end of the Roman Republic...
who ruled Rome after 43 BC - Lucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus (c. 229 BC–160 BC), Roman general whose victory over the Macedonians at Pydna ended the Third Macedonian WarThird Macedonian WarThe Third Macedonian War was a war fought between Rome and King Perseus of Macedon. In 179 BC King Philip V of Macedon died and his talented and ambitious son, Perseus, took his throne. Perseus married Laodike, daughter of King Seleucus IV Keraunos of Asia, and increased the size of his army...
(171–168 BC) - Scipio AfricanusScipio AfricanusPublius Cornelius Scipio Africanus , also known as Scipio Africanus and Scipio the Elder, was a general in the Second Punic War and statesman of the Roman Republic...
(235 BC–183 BC), Roman general, known for defeating Hannibal in the final battle of ZamaBattle of ZamaThe Battle of Zama, fought around October 19, 202 BC, marked the final and decisive end of the Second Punic War. A Roman army led by Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus defeated a Carthaginian force led by the legendary commander Hannibal...
. One of the great military minds of all timesHistoryHistory is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians... - Mark AntonyMark AntonyMarcus Antonius , known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general. As a military commander and administrator, he was an important supporter and loyal friend of his mother's cousin Julius Caesar...
(83 BC–30 BC), Roman politician and general - Marcus Atilius RegulusMarcus Atilius RegulusMarcus Atilius Regulus , a general and consul in the ninth year of the First Punic War...
(fl.FloruitFloruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
3rd century BC), Roman general and statesman - AugustusAugustusAugustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
(63 BC–AD 14), first and among the most important of the Roman Emperors. One of the great administrative geniuses of historyHistoryHistory is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians... - Marcus Aurelius (121–180), Roman emperor, has symbolized for many generations in the West the Golden Age of the Roman EmpireRoman EmpireThe Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
- Lucius Junius BrutusLucius Junius BrutusLucius Junius Brutus was the founder of the Roman Republic and traditionally one of the first consuls in 509 BC. He was claimed as an ancestor of the Roman gens Junia, including Marcus Junius Brutus, the most famous of Caesar's assassins.- Background :...
(545 BC–509 BC), Roman consul, traditional founder of the Roman RepublicRoman RepublicThe Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and... - Marcus Junius Brutus the Younger (85 BC–42 BC), Roman politician, leader of the conspirators who assassinated Julius Caesar (44 BC)
- Julius CaesarJulius CaesarGaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
(100 BC–44 BC), Roman statesman and general, famous for the conquest of GaulGallic WarsThe Gallic Wars were a series of military campaigns waged by the Roman proconsul Julius Caesar against several Gallic tribes. They lasted from 58 BC to 51 BC. The Gallic Wars culminated in the decisive Battle of Alesia in 52 BC, in which a complete Roman victory resulted in the expansion of the...
. A figure of genius and audacity equaled by few in historyHistoryHistory is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians... - Marcus Furius CamillusMarcus Furius CamillusMarcus Furius Camillus was a Roman soldier and statesman of patrician descent. According to Livy and Plutarch, Camillus triumphed four times, was five times dictator, and was honoured with the title of Second Founder of Rome....
(c. 446 BC–365 BC), Roman soldier and statesman - CatilineCatilineLucius Sergius Catilina , known in English as Catiline, was a Roman politician of the 1st century BC who is best known for the Catiline conspiracy, an attempt to overthrow the Roman Republic, and in particular the power of the aristocratic Senate.-Family background:Catiline was born in 108 BC to...
(108 BC–62 BC), Roman politician - Cato the ElderCato the ElderMarcus Porcius Cato was a Roman statesman, commonly referred to as Censorius , Sapiens , Priscus , or Major, Cato the Elder, or Cato the Censor, to distinguish him from his great-grandson, Cato the Younger.He came of an ancient Plebeian family who all were noted for some...
(234 BC–149 BC), Roman statesman, orator and the first Latin prose writer of importance - Cato the YoungerCato the YoungerMarcus Porcius Cato Uticensis , commonly known as Cato the Younger to distinguish him from his great-grandfather , was a politician and statesman in the late Roman Republic, and a follower of the Stoic philosophy...
(95 BC–46 BC), Roman politician and statesman in the late Roman RepublicRoman RepublicThe Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and... - CiceroCiceroMarcus Tullius Cicero , was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.He introduced the Romans to the chief...
(106 BC–43 BC), Roman statesman, scholar and writer. The greatest orator of his time, and one of the greatest in historyHistoryHistory is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians... - CincinnatusCincinnatusLucius Quinctius Cincinnatus was an aristocrat and political figure of the Roman Republic, serving as consul in 460 BC and Roman dictator in 458 BC and 439 BC....
(519 BC–438 BC), Roman politician - Appius Claudius CaecusAppius Claudius CaecusAppius Claudius Caecus was a Roman politician from a wealthy patrician family. He was dictator himself and the son of Gaius Claudius Crassus, dictator in 337 BC.-Life:...
(fl. 3rd century BC), outstanding statesman, legal expert, and author of early Rome who was one of the first notable personalities in Roman historyAncient RomeAncient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world.... - Marcus Claudius MarcellusMarcus Claudius MarcellusMarcus Claudius Marcellus , five times elected as consul of the Roman Republic, was an important Roman military leader during the Gallic War of 225 BC and the Second Punic War...
(c. 268 BC–208 BC), Roman general who captured Syracuse during the Second Punic WarSecond Punic WarThe Second Punic War, also referred to as The Hannibalic War and The War Against Hannibal, lasted from 218 to 201 BC and involved combatants in the western and eastern Mediterranean. This was the second major war between Carthage and the Roman Republic, with the participation of the Berbers on...
(218–201) - Publius Clodius PulcherPublius Clodius PulcherPublius Clodius Pulcher was a Roman politician known for his popularist tactics...
(c. 93 BC–52 BC), a disruptive politician, head of a band of political thugs, and bitter enemy of Cicero in late republican Rome - Lucius Cornelius Scipio BarbatusLucius Cornelius Scipio BarbatusLucius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus was one of the two elected Roman consuls in 298 BC. He led the Roman army to victory against the Etruscans near Volterra...
(... – c. 280 BC), consul in 298 BC. He defeated the EtruscansEtruscan civilizationEtruscan civilization is the modern English name given to a civilization of ancient Italy in the area corresponding roughly to Tuscany. The ancient Romans called its creators the Tusci or Etrusci...
at Volaterrae and afterwards fought against the Samnites - Lucius Cornelius SullaLucius Cornelius SullaLucius Cornelius Sulla Felix , known commonly as Sulla, was a Roman general and statesman. He had the rare distinction of holding the office of consul twice, as well as that of dictator...
(c. 138 BC–78 BC), Roman general and statesman - Manius Curius Dentatus (... – 270 BC), Roman general. As consul led the Romans to victory over the SamnitesSamnite WarsThe First, Second, and Third Samnite Wars, between the early Roman Republic and the tribes of Samnium, extended over half a century, involving almost all the states of Italy, and ended in Roman domination of the Samnites...
and defeated Pyrrhus of EpirusPyrrhus of EpirusPyrrhus or Pyrrhos was a Greek general and statesman of the Hellenistic era. He was king of the Greek tribe of Molossians, of the royal Aeacid house , and later he became king of Epirus and Macedon . He was one of the strongest opponents of early Rome...
near Beneventum (275 BC) - Gaius DuiliusGaius DuiliusGaius Duilius was a Roman politician and admiral involved in the First Punic War.Not much is known about his family background or early career, since he was a novus homo, meaning not belonging to a traditional family of Roman aristocrats. He managed, nevertheless, to be elected consul for the year...
(fl. 3rd century BC), Roman commander who won a major naval victory over the Carthaginians during the First Punic WarFirst Punic WarThe First Punic War was the first of three wars fought between Ancient Carthage and the Roman Republic. For 23 years, the two powers struggled for supremacy in the western Mediterranean Sea, primarily on the Mediterranean island of Sicily and its surrounding waters but also to a lesser extent in...
(264–241 BC) - GermanicusGermanicusGermanicus Julius Caesar , commonly known as Germanicus, was a member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty and a prominent general of the early Roman Empire. He was born in Rome, Italia, and was named either Nero Claudius Drusus after his father or Tiberius Claudius Nero after his uncle...
(15 BC–AD 19), Roman general who avenged the defeat sustained by VarusVarus-People:*Publius Attius Varus , Roman governor of Africa.*Publius Quinctilius Varus , politician of the Roman Empire.*Quinctilius Varus -People:*Publius Attius Varus (died 17 March 45 BCE), Roman governor of Africa.*Publius Quinctilius Varus (46 BCE - 9 CE), politician of the Roman...
(AD 9), defeating ArminiusArminiusArminius , also known as Armin or Hermann was a chieftain of the Germanic Cherusci who defeated a Roman army in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest...
at Idistaviso on the Weser (AD 16) - Gaius GracchusGaius GracchusGaius Sempronius Gracchus was a Roman Populari politician in the 2nd century BC and brother of the ill-fated reformer Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus...
(154 BC–121 BC), Roman politician - Marcus Licinius CrassusMarcus Licinius CrassusMarcus Licinius Crassus was a Roman general and politician who commanded the right wing of Sulla's army at the Battle of the Colline Gate, suppressed the slave revolt led by Spartacus, provided political and financial support to Julius Caesar and entered into the political alliance known as the...
(c. 115 BC–53 BC), Roman general and politician - LucullusLucullusLucius Licinius Lucullus , was an optimate politician of the late Roman Republic, closely connected with Sulla Felix...
(c. 117 BC–57/56 BC), Roman general who fought Mithradates VI Eupator of Pontus from 74 to 66 BC - Gaius MaecenasGaius MaecenasGaius Cilnius Maecenas was a confidant and political advisor to Octavian as well as an important patron for the new generation of Augustan poets...
(70 BC–8 BC), Roman diplomat, counsellor to the Roman emperor Augustus - Gaius MariusGaius MariusGaius Marius was a Roman general and statesman. He was elected consul an unprecedented seven times during his career. He was also noted for his dramatic reforms of Roman armies, authorizing recruitment of landless citizens, eliminating the manipular military formations, and reorganizing the...
(157 BC–86 BC), Roman general and politician - Fabius MaximusFabius MaximusQuintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus Cunctator was a Roman politician and general, born in Rome around 280 BC and died in Rome in 203 BC. He was Roman Consul five times and was twice Dictator in 221 and again in 217 BC. He reached the office of Roman Censor in 230 BC...
(c. 280 BC–203 BC), Roman politician and general, famous for having invented the guerrilla warfareGuerrilla warfareGuerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
(method of combat in 217 BC) - Lucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus (c. 229 BC–160 BC), Roman general whose victory over the Macedonians at Pydna ended the Third Macedonian WarThird Macedonian WarThe Third Macedonian War was a war fought between Rome and King Perseus of Macedon. In 179 BC King Philip V of Macedon died and his talented and ambitious son, Perseus, took his throne. Perseus married Laodike, daughter of King Seleucus IV Keraunos of Asia, and increased the size of his army...
(171–168 BC) - Pontius PilatePontius PilatePontius Pilatus , known in the English-speaking world as Pontius Pilate , was the fifth Prefect of the Roman province of Judaea, from AD 26–36. He is best known as the judge at Jesus' trial and the man who authorized the crucifixion of Jesus...
(16 BC–AD 36), Roman politician, famous primarily as a crucial character in the New TestamentNew TestamentThe New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
account of JesusJesusJesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity... - Antoninus PiusAntoninus PiusAntoninus Pius , also known as Antoninus, was Roman Emperor from 138 to 161. He was a member of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty and the Aurelii. He did not possess the sobriquet "Pius" until after his accession to the throne...
(86–161), Roman emperor, mild-mannered and capable, he was the fourth of the five good emperors" - PompeyPompeyGnaeus Pompeius Magnus, also known as Pompey or Pompey the Great , was a military and political leader of the late Roman Republic...
(106 BC–48 BC), Roman military and political leader of the late Roman RepublicRoman RepublicThe Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and... - Titus Quinctius FlamininusTitus Quinctius FlamininusTitus Quinctius Flamininus was a Roman politician and general instrumental in the Roman conquest of Greece.Member of the gens Quinctia, and brother to Lucius Quinctius Flamininus, he served as a military tribune in the Second Punic war and in 205 BC he was appointed propraetor in Tarentum...
(c. 229 BC–174 BC), Roman general and statesman who established the Roman hegemony over GreeceGreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... - Quintus SertoriusQuintus SertoriusQuintus Sertorius was a Roman statesman and general, born in Nursia, in Sabine territory. His brilliance as a military commander was shown most clearly in his battles against Rome for control of Hispania...
(c. 126 BC–73 BC), one of the most able Roman generals, who displayed a particular genius for leading armies of irregulars - Marcus Vipsanius AgrippaMarcus Vipsanius AgrippaMarcus Vipsanius Agrippa was a Roman statesman and general. He was a close friend, son-in-law, lieutenant and defense minister to Octavian, the future Emperor Caesar Augustus...
(63 BC–12 BC), Roman statesman and general; he was long honored by the Roman military as the inventor of the HarpaxHarpaxThe harpax or harpago was a Roman catapult-shot grapnel created by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa for use against Sextus Pompey during the naval battles of the Sicilian revolt...
Roman Catholic Church
- Pope Adrian IPope Adrian IPope Adrian was pope from February 1, 772 to December 25, 795. He was the son of Theodore, a Roman nobleman.Shortly after Adrian's accession the territory ruled by the papacy was invaded by Desiderius, king of the Lombards, and Adrian was compelled to seek the assistance of the Frankish king...
(c.CircaCirca , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
700–795), pope from 772 to 795; his pontificate was unequalled in length by that of any successor of Saint PeterSaint PeterSaint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
until a thousand years later - Pope Agapetus IPope Agapetus IPope Saint Agapetus I reigned as pope from May 13, 535, to April 22, 536. He is not to be confused with another Saint Agapetus, an Early Christian martyr with the feast day of August 6th.-Family:...
(... – 536), of noble birth, he was an archdeaconArchdeaconAn archdeacon is a senior clergy position in Anglicanism, Syrian Malabar Nasrani, Chaldean Catholic, and some other Christian denominations, above that of most clergy and below a bishop. In the High Middle Ages it was the most senior diocesan position below a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church...
at the time of his election (May 13, 535) - Pope Alexander IIIPope Alexander IIIPope Alexander III , born Rolando of Siena, was Pope from 1159 to 1181. He is noted in history for laying the foundation stone for the Notre Dame de Paris.-Church career:...
(c. 1100/1105–1181), Pope from 1159 to 1181. He is remembered for the long-standing dispute with the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick IFrederick I, Holy Roman EmperorFrederick I Barbarossa was a German Holy Roman Emperor. He was elected King of Germany at Frankfurt on 4 March 1152 and crowned in Aachen on 9 March, crowned King of Italy in Pavia in 1155, and finally crowned Roman Emperor by Pope Adrian IV, on 18 June 1155, and two years later in 1157 the term... - AmbroseAmbroseAurelius Ambrosius, better known in English as Saint Ambrose , was a bishop of Milan who became one of the most influential ecclesiastical figures of the 4th century. He was one of the four original doctors of the Church.-Political career:Ambrose was born into a Roman Christian family between about...
(337 or 340–397), bishop of MilanMilanMilan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
; one of the most influential ecclesiastical figures of the 4th centuryChristianity in the 4th centuryChristianity in the 4th century was dominated by Constantine the Great, and the First Council of Nicea of 325, which was the beginning of the period of the First seven Ecumenical Councils and the attempt to reach an orthodox consensus and to establish a unified Christendom as the State church of...
; he was also the teacher of Saint Augustine - Augustine of CanterburyAugustine of CanterburyAugustine of Canterbury was a Benedictine monk who became the first Archbishop of Canterbury in the year 597...
(... – 604), Benedictine monk and the first Archbishop of CanterburyArchbishop of CanterburyThe Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
. He is considered the "Apostle to the English" and a founder of the English Church - Benedict of NursiaBenedict of NursiaSaint Benedict of Nursia is a Christian saint, honored by the Roman Catholic Church as the patron saint of Europe and students.Benedict founded twelve communities for monks at Subiaco, about to the east of Rome, before moving to Monte Cassino in the mountains of southern Italy. There is no...
(c. 480 – c. 547), father of Western monasticism; the rule that he established became the norm for monastic living throughout EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting... - Pope Benedict VPope Benedict VPope Benedict V , Pope in 964, was elected by the Romans on the death of Pope John XII . However the Holy Roman Emperor Otto I did not approve of the choice and had him deposed after only a month and the ex-Pope was carried off to Hamburg and was placed under the care of Adaldag, Archbishop of...
(... – 966), pope, or antipopeAntipopeAn antipope is a person who opposes a legitimately elected or sitting Pope and makes a significantly accepted competing claim to be the Pope, the Bishop of Rome and leader of the Roman Catholic Church. At times between the 3rd and mid-15th century, antipopes were typically those supported by a...
, from May 22, 964, to June 23, 964, when he was deposed - Pope Boniface VIIIPope Boniface VIIIPope Boniface VIII , born Benedetto Gaetani, was Pope of the Catholic Church from 1294 to 1303. Today, Boniface VIII is probably best remembered for his feuds with Dante, who placed him in the Eighth circle of Hell in his Divina Commedia, among the Simonists.- Biography :Gaetani was born in 1235 in...
(c. 1235–1303), issued in 1302, the famous bull Unam sanctamUnam sanctamOn 18 November 1302, Pope Boniface VIII issued the Papal bull Unam sanctam which historians consider one of the most extreme statements of Papal spiritual supremacy ever made...
(pushing papal supremacyPapal supremacyPapal supremacy refers to the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church that the pope, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ and as pastor of the entire Christian Church, has full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered: that, in brief,...
to its historical extreme) - Pope Celestine IPope Celestine IPope Saint Celestine I was elevated to the papacy in the year 422, on November 3 according to the Liber Pontificalis, but on April 10 according to Tillemont....
(... – 432), pope from 422 to 432 - Pope Celestine VPope Celestine VPope Saint Celestine V, born Pietro Angelerio , also known as Pietro da Morrone was elected pope in the year 1294, by the papal election of 1292–1294, the last non-conclave in the history of the Roman Catholic Church...
(1215–1296), pope from July 5 to Dec. 13, 1294, the first pontiff to abdicate. He founded the Celestine orderCelestinesCelestines are a Roman Catholic monastic order, a branch of the Benedictines, founded in 1244. At the foundation of the new rule, they were called Hermits of St Damiano, or Moronites , and did not assume the appellation of Celestines until after the election of their founder to the Papacy as... - Peter DamianPeter DamianSaint Peter Damian, O.S.B. was a reforming monk in the circle of Pope Gregory VII and a cardinal. In 1823, he was declared a Doctor of the Church...
(c. 1007–1072), cardinal and Doctor of the ChurchDoctor of the ChurchDoctor of the Church is a title given by a variety of Christian churches to individuals whom they recognize as having been of particular importance, particularly regarding their contribution to theology or doctrine.-Catholic Church:In the Catholic Church, this name is given to a saint from whose...
. He was an original leader and a forceful figure in the Gregorian ReformGregorian ReformThe Gregorian Reforms were a series of reforms initiated by Pope Gregory VII and the circle he formed in the papal curia, circa 1050–80, which dealt with the moral integrity and independence of the clergy...
movement - Pope Gregory IPope Gregory IPope Gregory I , better known in English as Gregory the Great, was pope from 3 September 590 until his death...
(c. 540–604), founder" of the medieval papacy, which exercised both secular and spiritual power; he is considered one of the great Latin Fathers of the Church - Pope Gregory IIPope Gregory IIPope Saint Gregory II was pope from May 19, 715 to his death on February 11, 731, succeeding Pope Constantine. Having, it is said, bought off the Lombards for thirty pounds of gold, Charles Martel having refused his call for aid, he used the tranquillity thus obtained for vigorous missionary...
(669–731), greatly encouraged the Christianizing of Germany by SS; the Donation of SutriDonation of SutriThe Donation of Sutri was an agreement reached at Sutri by Liutprand, King of the Lombards and Pope Gregory II in 728. At Sutri, the two reached an agreement by which the city and some hill towns in Latium were given to the Papacy, "as a gift to the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul" according to...
(728) is considered the constitutive act of the Papal StatesPapal StatesThe Papal State, State of the Church, or Pontifical States were among the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia .The Papal States comprised territories under... - Pope Gregory VIIPope Gregory VIIPope St. Gregory VII , born Hildebrand of Sovana , was Pope from April 22, 1073, until his death. One of the great reforming popes, he is perhaps best known for the part he played in the Investiture Controversy, his dispute with Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor affirming the primacy of the papal...
(c. 1015/1028–1085), one of the great reforming popes; best known for the part he played in the Investiture ControversyInvestiture ControversyThe Investiture Controversy or Investiture Contest was the most significant conflict between Church and state in medieval Europe. In the 11th and 12th centuries, a series of Popes challenged the authority of European monarchies over control of appointments, or investitures, of church officials such... - John Gualbert (985 or 995 – 1073), Roman Catholic saint. The founder of the Vallumbrosan OrderVallumbrosan OrderThe Vallumbrosan Order is a Roman Catholic religious order, technically a Benedictine congregation, which derives its name from the motherhouse, Vallombrosa , situated c...
- Pope Honorius IPope Honorius IPope Honorius I was pope from 625 to 638.Honorius, according to the Liber Pontificalis, came from Campania and was the son of the consul Petronius. He became pope on October 27, 625, two days after the death of his predecessor, Boniface V...
(... – 638), pope from 625 to 638 whose posthumous condemnation as a heretic subsequently caused extensive controversy on the question of papal infallibilityPapal infallibilityPapal infallibility is a dogma of the Catholic Church which states that, by action of the Holy Spirit, the Pope is preserved from even the possibility of error when in his official capacity he solemnly declares or promulgates to the universal Church a dogmatic teaching on faith or morals... - Pope Honorius IIIPope Honorius IIIPope Honorius III , previously known as Cencio Savelli, was Pope from 1216 to 1227.-Early work:He was born in Rome as son of Aimerico...
(... – 1227), often considered one of the great administrators in papal history - Pope Innocent IIIPope Innocent IIIPope Innocent III was Pope from 8 January 1198 until his death. His birth name was Lotario dei Conti di Segni, sometimes anglicised to Lothar of Segni....
(1160–1216), during his reign, the papacy was at the height of its powersUniversal powerIn the Middle Ages, the term universal powers referred to the Holy Roman Emperor and the Pope. Both were struggling for the so-called Dominium mundi, or world dominium, in terms of political and spiritual supremacy... - Pope John IIPope John IIPope John II was pope from 533 to 535.He was the son of a certain Projectus, born in Rome and a priest of the Basilica di San Clemente on the Caelian Hill. He was made pope January 2, 533. The basilica of St. Clement still retains several memorials of "Johannes surnamed Mercurius"...
(... – 535), pope from 533 to 535. He was the first pontiff to change his original name, which he considered pagan, assuming the name of the martyred Saint John I (523–526) - Pope John VIIIPope John VIIIPope John VIII was pope from December 13, 872 to December 16, 882. He is often considered one of the ablest pontiffs of the ninth century and the last bright spot on the papacy until Leo IX two centuries later....
(... – ...), often considered one of the ablest pontiffs of the ninth century - Pope John XIXPope John XIXPope John XIX , born Romanus, was Pope from 1024 to 1032.He succeeded his brother, Pope Benedict VIII , both being members of the powerful house of Tusculum...
(... – 1032), pope from 1024 to 1032 - Pope Leo IPope Leo IPope Leo I was pope from September 29, 440 to his death.He was an Italian aristocrat, and is the first pope of the Catholic Church to have been called "the Great". He is perhaps best known for having met Attila the Hun in 452, persuading him to turn back from his invasion of Italy...
(c. 400–461), pope from 440 to 461, master exponent of papal supremacy - Pope Leo IIIPope Leo IIIPope Saint Leo III was Pope from 795 to his death in 816. Protected by Charlemagne from his enemies in Rome, he subsequently strengthened Charlemagne's position by crowning him as Roman Emperor....
(750–816), known for crowning CharlemagneCharlemagneCharlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
as the first Holy Roman EmperorHoly Roman EmperorThe Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope... - Pope LiberiusPope LiberiusPope Liberius, pope from May 17, 352, to September 24, 366, was consecrated according to the Catalogus Liberianus on May 22, as the successor of Pope Julius I. He was regarded as a saint in the early Church, but his name was later removed from the Roman Martyrology, however, he is once again...
(... – 366), pope from 352 to 366 - Matilda of TuscanyMatilda of TuscanyMatilda of Tuscany was an Italian noblewoman, the principal Italian supporter of Pope Gregory VII during the Investiture Controversy. She is one of the few medieval women to be remembered for her military accomplishments...
(1046–1115), noblewoman. She was a strong supporter of the papacy during the Investiture ControversyInvestiture ControversyThe Investiture Controversy or Investiture Contest was the most significant conflict between Church and state in medieval Europe. In the 11th and 12th centuries, a series of Popes challenged the authority of European monarchies over control of appointments, or investitures, of church officials such... - Pope Nicholas IPope Nicholas IPope Nicholas I, , or Saint Nicholas the Great, reigned from April 24, 858 until his death. He is remembered as a consolidator of papal authority and power, exerting decisive influence upon the historical development of the papacy and its position among the Christian nations of Western Europe.He...
(c. 800–867), pope from 858 to 867, master theorist of papal power, considered to have been the most forceful of the early medieval pontiffs - Paulinus of NolaPaulinus of NolaSaint Paulinus of Nola, also known as Pontificus Meropius Anicius Paulinus was a Roman senator who converted to a severe monasticism in 394...
(353–431), bishopBishopA bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of NolaNolaNola is a city and comune of Campania, southern Italy, in the province of Naples, situated in the plain between Mount Vesuvius and the Apennines...
and one of the most important Christian Latin poets of his time. He is also the inventor of church bellsBell (instrument)A bell is a simple sound-making device. The bell is a percussion instrument and an idiophone. Its form is usually a hollow, cup-shaped object, which resonates upon being struck... - RomualdRomualdSaint Romuald was the founder of the Camaldolese order and a major figure in the eleventh-century "Renaissance of eremitical asceticism"....
(c. 950–1025/1027), Christian ascetic who founded the CamaldoleseCamaldoleseThe Camaldolese monks and nuns are part of the Benedictine family of monastic communities which follow the way of life outlined in the Rule of St. Benedict, written in the 6th century...
Benedictines (Hermits) - Pope Sergius IPope Sergius IPope Saint Sergius I was pope from 687 to 701. Selected to end a schism between Antipope Paschal and Antipope Theodore, Sergius I ended the last disputed sede vacante of the Byzantine Papacy....
(... – 701), pope from 687 to 701, one of the most important 7th-century pontiffs - Pope Stephen IIPope Stephen IIPope Stephen II was Pope from 752 to 757, succeeding Pope Zachary following the death of Pope-elect Stephen. Stephen II marks the historical delineation between the Byzantine Papacy and the Frankish Papacy.-Allegiance to Constantinople:...
(715–757), pope from 752 to 757. He severed ties with the Byzantine EmpireByzantine EmpireThe Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
and thus became the first temporal sovereign of the newly founded Papal States - Pope Sylvester I (... – 335), one of the most illustrious popes of his age; after his death, became a major figure of legend
- Pope SymmachusPope SymmachusSaint Symmachus was pope from 498 to 514. His tenure was marked by a serious schism over who was legitimately elected pope by the citizens of Rome....
(... – 514), pope from 498 to 514
Renaissance
- Alessandro de' Medici, Duke of FlorenceAlessandro de' Medici, Duke of FlorenceAlessandro de' Medici called "il Moro" , Duke of Penne and also Duke of Florence , ruler of Florence from 1530 until 1537...
(1510–1537), the first duke of FlorenceDuke of FlorenceIl Duca di Firenze, rendered in English as The Duke of Florence, was a title created in 1532 by Pope Clement VII. There were effectively only two dukes, Alessandro de' Medici and Cosimo de' Medici, the second duke being elevated to The Grand Duke of Tuscany, causing the Florentine title...
(1532–37) - Catherine de' MediciCatherine de' MediciCatherine de' Medici was an Italian noblewoman who was Queen consort of France from 1547 until 1559, as the wife of King Henry II of France....
(1519–1589), Queen of FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... - Cosimo de' MediciCosimo de' MediciCòsimo di Giovanni degli Mèdici was the first of the Medici political dynasty, de facto rulers of Florence during much of the Italian Renaissance; also known as "Cosimo 'the Elder'" and "Cosimo Pater Patriae" .-Biography:Born in Florence, Cosimo inherited both his wealth and his expertise in...
(1389–1464), founder of the Medici political dynasty - Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of TuscanyCosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of TuscanyCosimo I de' Medici was Duke of Florence from 1537 to 1574, reigning as the first Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1569.-Biography:...
(1519–1574), second duke of Florence (1537–74) and first grand duke of TuscanyGrand Duchy of TuscanyThe Grand Duchy of Tuscany was a central Italian monarchy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1859, replacing the Duchy of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence...
(1569–74) - Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of TuscanyFerdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of TuscanyFerdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1587 to 1609, having succeeded his older brother Francesco I.-Biography:...
(1549–1609), grand duke of Tuscany from 1587 to 1609 - Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of TuscanyFrancesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of TuscanyFrancesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany was the second Grand Duke of Tuscany, ruling from 1574 to 1587.- Biography :...
(1541–1587), second grand duke of Tuscany, ruling from 1574 to 1587 - Giovanni di Bicci de' MediciGiovanni di Bicci de' MediciGiovanni di Bicci de' Medici was an Italian banker, the first historically relevant member of Medici family of Florence, and the founder of the Medici bank...
(1360–1429), restored the family fortune and made the Medici family the wealthiest in EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting... - Lorenzo de' MediciLorenzo de' MediciLorenzo de' Medici was an Italian statesman and de facto ruler of the Florentine Republic during the Italian Renaissance. Known as Lorenzo the Magnificent by contemporary Florentines, he was a diplomat, politician and patron of scholars, artists and poets...
(1449–1492), leader of Florence during the Golden Age of the RenaissanceRenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
; patron of arts and letters, the most brilliant of the Medici - Marie de' MediciMarie de' MediciMarie de Médicis , Italian Maria de' Medici, was queen consort of France, as the second wife of King Henry IV of France, of the House of Bourbon. She herself was a member of the wealthy and powerful House of Medici...
(1575–1642), Queen and Regent of France who was a harsh opponent of ProtestantismProtestantismProtestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
in France - Salvestro de' MediciSalvestro de' MediciSalvestro di Alammano de' Medici was a former Gonfaloniere and Provost of the city of Florence.Salvestro was a member of the patrician class and an adversary of the noble Guelphic faction, who had been pursuing a policy of attempting to exclude the lesser guilds through admonitions.Salvestro was...
(1331–1388), former GonfaloniereGonfaloniere of JusticeGonfaloniere of Justice was a post in the government of medieval and early Renaissance Florence. Like Florence's Podestà and Priori, it was introduced in 1293 when Giano Della Bella's Ordinamenti di Giustizia came into force....
and Provost of the city of FlorenceFlorenceFlorence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area.... - Pope Clement VIIPope Clement VIIClement VII , born Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici, was a cardinal from 1513 to 1523 and was Pope from 1523 to 1534.-Early life:...
(Giulio de’ Medici) (1478–1534), pope from 1523 to 1534; it was Pope Clement who excommunicated Henry VIII of EnglandHenry VIII of EnglandHenry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France... - Pope Leo XPope Leo XPope Leo X , born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, was the Pope from 1513 to his death in 1521. He was the last non-priest to be elected Pope. He is known for granting indulgences for those who donated to reconstruct St. Peter's Basilica and his challenging of Martin Luther's 95 Theses...
(Giovanni de' Medici) (1475–1521), a Cardinal-Deacon from the age of 13 - Pope Leo XIPope Leo XIPope Leo XI , born Alessandro Ottaviano de' Medici, was Pope from 1 April 1605 to 27 April of the same year.-Biography:...
(Alessandro Ottaviano de' Medici) (1535–1605), pope from April 1–27, 1605
- Cesare BorgiaCesare BorgiaCesare Borgia , Duke of Valentinois, was an Italian condottiero, nobleman, politician, and cardinal. He was the son of Pope Alexander VI and his long-term mistress Vannozza dei Cattanei. He was the brother of Lucrezia Borgia; Giovanni Borgia , Duke of Gandia; and Gioffre Borgia , Prince of Squillace...
(1475/1476–1507), Spanish-Italian condottiero, nobleman, politician, and cardinal. Powerful lord, and a leading figure in the politics of his era - Bartolomeo ColleoniBartolomeo ColleoniBartolomeo Colleoni was a Venetian condottiero, who became Captain-General of the republic of Venice, where there is a famous statue showing him on horseback.-Biography:...
(1400–1475), condottiere, at various times in Venetian and Milanese service and from 1454 general in chief of the Republic of VeniceRepublic of VeniceThe Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
for life - Andrea DoriaAndrea DoriaAndrea Doria was an Italian condottiere and admiral from Genoa.-Early life:Doria was born at Oneglia from the ancient Genoese family, the Doria di Oneglia branch of the old Doria, de Oria or de Auria family. His parents were related: Ceva Doria, co-lord of Oneglia, and Caracosa Doria, of the...
(1466–1560), condottiere, and admiral who was the foremost naval leader of his time - Erasmo of NarniErasmo of NarniThis article is about the condottieri Erasmo da Narni. For Donatello's equestrian statue, see Gattamelata Erasmo of Narni , better known as "Gattamelata" , was among the most famous of the condottieri or mercenaries in the Italian Renaissance...
(1370–1443, known as Gattamelata), who served Florence, Venice and the pope before becoming dictator of Padua - Frederick II, Holy Roman EmperorFrederick II, Holy Roman EmperorFrederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
(1194–1250), King of Sicily and promoter of Sicilian culture and political power; expanded domain into much of Italy - Federico da MontefeltroFederico da MontefeltroFederico da Montefeltro, also known as Federico III da Montefeltro , was one of the most successful condottieri of the Italian Renaissance, and lord of Urbino from 1444 until his death...
(1422–1482), lord of Urbino from 1444 (as Duke from 1474) until his death. He is widely regarded as one of the most successful condottieri of his time - Giovanni dalle Bande NereGiovanni dalle Bande NereLodovico de Medici also known as Giovanni dalle Bande Nere was an Italian condottiero.-Biography:Giovanni was born in the Northern Italian town of Forlì to Giovanni de' Medici and Caterina Sforza, one of the most famous women of the Italian Renaissance.From an early age, he demonstrated great...
(1498–1526), the most noted soldier of all the Medici - Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta (1417–1468), condottiero and nobleman. He was widely considered by his contemporaries as one of the most daring military leaders in Italy
- Niccolò PiccininoNiccolò PiccininoNiccolò Piccinino was an Italian condottiero.-Biography:He was born at Perugia, was the son of a butcher.He began his military career in the service of Braccio da Montone, who at that time was waging war against Perugia on his own account, and at the death of his chief, shortly followed by that of...
(1386–1444), soldier of fortune who played an important role in the 15th-century wars of the ViscontiHouse of ViscontiVisconti is the family name of two important Italian noble dynasties of the Middle Ages. There are two distinct Visconti families: The first one in the Republic of Pisa in the mid twelfth century who achieved prominence first in Pisa, then in Sardinia where they became rulers of Gallura...
of Milan against VeniceRepublic of VeniceThe Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
, FlorenceRepublic of FlorenceThe Republic of Florence , or the Florentine Republic, was a city-state that was centered on the city of Florence, located in modern Tuscany, Italy. The republic was founded in 1115, when the Florentine people rebelled against the Margraviate of Tuscany upon Margravine Matilda's death. The...
, and the popePopeThe Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle... - Francesco I SforzaFrancesco I SforzaFrancesco I Sforza was an Italian condottiero, the founder of the Sforza dynasty in Milan, Italy. He was the brother of Alessandro, with whom he often fought.-Early life:...
(1401–1466), condottiere who played a crucial role in 15th-century Italian politics - Muzio SforzaMuzio SforzaMuzio Attendolo Sforza was an Italian condottiero. Founder of the Sforza dynasty, he led a Bolognese-Florentine army at the Battle of Casalecchio.He was the father of Francesco Sforza, who ruled Milan for 16 years....
(1369–1424), soldier of fortune who played an important role in the wars of his period and whose son Francesco became duke of Milan - Gian Giacomo TrivulzioGian Giacomo TrivulzioGian Giacomo Trivulzio was an Italian aristocrat and condottiero who held several military commands during the Italian Wars.-Biography:...
(1440/1441–1518), aristocrat and condottiero who served as a military captain under GaleazzoGaleazzo Maria SforzaGaleazzo Maria Sforza was Duke of Milan from 1466 until his death. He was famous for being lustful, cruel and tyrannical....
, later became the grand Marshal of FranceMarshal of FranceThe Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
Domination by other countries
- Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of SavoyCharles Emmanuel I, Duke of SavoyCharles Emmanuel I , known as the Great, was the Duke of Savoy from 1580 to 1630...
(1562–1630), skilled soldier and shrewd politician. He was nicknamed Testa d'feu ("Head of Fire") for his rashness and military attitudes - Michelangelo Alessandro Colli-MarchiMichelangelo Alessandro Colli-MarchiMichelangelo Alessandro Colli-Marchi, or Michele Angelo Alessandro Colli-Marchei or Michael Colli, joined the Austrian army, became a general officer, and led the army of the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont for three years, including its unsuccessful campaign against Napoleon Bonaparte in...
(1738–1808), general in the service of the Austrian army - Torquato ContiTorquato ContiTorquato Conti was an Italian military commander who served as a General-Field Marshal of the Holy Roman Empire during the Thirty Years War. His barbarous treatment of defenceless villagers earned him the nickname, The Devil...
(1591–1636), military commander who served as a General-Field MarshalGeneralfeldmarschallField Marshal or Generalfeldmarschall in German, was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire; in the Austrian Empire, the rank Feldmarschall was used...
of the Holy Roman EmpireHoly Roman EmpireThe Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
during the Thirty Years' WarThirty Years' WarThe Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history.... - Eugene of Savoy (1663–1736), general in the service of the Austrian Holy Roman emperorHoly Roman EmperorThe Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
, made his name as one of the greatest soldiers of his generation - Alexander Farnese, Duke of ParmaAlexander Farnese, Duke of ParmaAlexander Farnese was Duke of Parma and Piacenza from 1586 to 1592, and Governor of the Spanish Netherlands from 1578 to 1592.-Biography:...
(1545–1592), revitalized Spanish rule in the southern provinces of the Netherlands (modern Belgium and Luxembourg) - Pietro MiccaPietro MiccaPietro Micca was a Savoyard soldier who became a national hero for his sacrifice in the defence of Turin against the French troops.-Early Life:...
(1677–1706), the miner who at the sacrifice of his own life saved the citadel of Turin (1706) from French troops - Raimondo MontecuccoliRaimondo MontecuccoliRaimondo, Count of Montecúccoli or Montecucculi was an Italian military general who also served as general for the Austrians, and was also a prince of the Holy Roman Empire and Neapolitan Duke of Melfi....
(1609–1680), field marshalField MarshalField Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
and military reformer. In the service of the Habsburgs, he took part in the Thirty Years' WarThirty Years' WarThe Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history.... - Ottavio Piccolomini (1599–1656), general and diplomat in the service of the House of Habsburg during the Thirty Years' WarThirty Years' WarThe Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
- Ambrogio Spinola, 1st Marquis of the Balbases (1569–1630), general and master of siege warfare in the service of SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
- Victor Amadeus II of SardiniaVictor Amadeus II of SardiniaVictor Amadeus II was Duke of Savoy from 1675 to 1730. He also held the titles of marquis of Saluzzo, duke of Montferrat, prince of Piedmont, count of Aosta, Moriana and Nizza. Louis XIV organised his marriage in order to maintain French influence in the Duchy but Victor Amadeus soon broke away...
(1666–1732), King of Sicily (1713–1720) and of Sardinia (1720–1730). He established the foundation for the future Italian national state
1861 to the rise of Fascism
- Pietro BadoglioPietro BadoglioPietro Badoglio, 1st Duke of Addis Abeba, 1st Marquess of Sabotino was an Italian soldier and politician...
(1871–1956), general and statesman during the dictatorship of Benito Mussolini - Italo BalboItalo BalboItalo Balbo was an Italian Blackshirt leader who served as Italy's Marshal of the Air Force , Governor-General of Libya, Commander-in-Chief of Italian North Africa , and the "heir apparent" to Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.After serving in...
(1896–1940), airman and fascist leader who played a decisive role in developing Benito Mussolini’s air forceAir forceAn air force, also known in some countries as an air army, is in the broadest sense, the national military organization that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army, navy or... - Cesare Battisti (1875–1916), politician
- Camillo Benso, conte di Cavour (1810–1861), politician, leading figure in the movement toward Italian unificationItalian unificationItalian unification was the political and social movement that agglomerated different states of the Italian peninsula into the single state of Italy in the 19th century...
- Francesco CrispiFrancesco CrispiFrancesco Crispi was a 19th-century Italian politician of Arbëreshë ancestry. He was instrumental in the unification of Italy and was its 17th and 20th Prime Minister from 1887 until 1891 and again from 1893 until 1896.-Sicily:Crispi’s paternal family came originally from the small agricultural...
(1819–1901), statesman who, after being exiled from Naples and Sardinia-Piedmont for revolutionary activities, eventually became premier of a united Italy - Salvo D'AcquistoSalvo D'AcquistoSalvo D'Acquisto was a member of the Italian Carabinieri, awarded the Gold Medal of Military Valor in memory of his heroism.-Life:...
(1920–1943), member of the Italian CarabinieriCarabinieriThe Carabinieri is the national gendarmerie of Italy, policing both military and civilian populations, and is a branch of the armed forces.-Early history:...
, awarded the Gold Medal of Military ValorGold Medal of Military ValorThe Gold Medal of Military Valor is an Italian medal established on 21 May 1793 by King Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia "....per bassi ufficiali e soldati che avevano fatto azioni di segnalato valore in guerra" .The face of the medal displayed the profile of the king, and on its reverse was a flag...
in memory of his heroism - Armando DiazArmando DiazArmando Diaz, 1st Duca della Vittoria was an Italian general and a Marshal of Italy.Born in Naples, Diaz began his military career as a student at the Military Academy of Turin, where he became an artillery officer. He was a colonel commanding the 93rd infantry during the Italo-Turkish War, and...
(1861–1928), general and a Marshal of Italy - Giulio DouhetGiulio DouhetGeneral Giulio Douhet was an Italian general and air power theorist. He was a key proponent of strategic bombing in aerial warfare...
(1869–1930), military, the first to envision the true potential of airpower and strategic bombardmentArea bombardmentIn military aviation, area bombardment is aerial bombardment targeted indiscriminately at a large area, such as a city block or an entire city.Area bombing is a form of strategic bombing... - Giuseppe GaribaldiGiuseppe GaribaldiGiuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian military and political figure. In his twenties, he joined the Carbonari Italian patriot revolutionaries, and fled Italy after a failed insurrection. Garibaldi took part in the War of the Farrapos and the Uruguayan Civil War leading the Italian Legion, and...
(1807–1882), patriot and soldier of the Risorgimento; contributed to the achievement of Italian unification under the royal House of SavoyHouse of SavoyThe House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia... - Giovanni GiolittiGiovanni GiolittiGiovanni Giolitti was an Italian statesman. He was the 19th, 25th, 29th, 32nd and 37th Prime Minister of Italy between 1892 and 1921. A left-wing liberal, Giolitti's periods in office were notable for the passage of a wide range of progressive social reforms which improved the living standards of...
(1842–1928), statesman and five times prime minister under whose leadership Italy prospered - Antonio GramsciAntonio GramsciAntonio Gramsci was an Italian writer, politician, political philosopher, and linguist. He was a founding member and onetime leader of the Communist Party of Italy and was imprisoned by Benito Mussolini's Fascist regime...
(1891–1937), intellectual and politician, a founder of the Italian Communist Party whose ideas greatly influenced Italian communism - Giacomo MatteottiGiacomo MatteottiGiacomo Matteotti was an Italian socialist politician. On 30 May 1924, he openly spoke in the Italian Parliament alleging the Fascists committed fraud in the recently held elections, and denounced the violence they used to gain votes...
(1885–1924), socialist politician. He strongly denounced the National Fascist PartyNational Fascist PartyThe National Fascist Party was an Italian political party, created by Benito Mussolini as the political expression of fascism...
. Two weeks after his speech, he was kidnapped and murdered by fascists - Giuseppe MazziniGiuseppe MazziniGiuseppe Mazzini , nicknamed Soul of Italy, was an Italian politician, journalist and activist for the unification of Italy. His efforts helped bring about the independent and unified Italy in place of the several separate states, many dominated by foreign powers, that existed until the 19th century...
(1805–1872), propagandist and revolutionary; a champion of the movement for Italian unity known as the Risorgimento - Benito MussoliniBenito MussoliniBenito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
(1883–1945), prime minister (1922–43) and the first of 20th-century Europe’s fascist dictatorDictatorA dictator is a ruler who assumes sole and absolute power but without hereditary ascension such as an absolute monarch. When other states call the head of state of a particular state a dictator, that state is called a dictatorship...
s - Carlo RosselliCarlo RosselliCarlo Rosselli was an Italian political leader, journalist, historian and anti-fascist activist, first in Italy then abroad...
(1899–1937), political leader, journalist, and historian. He was committed to the anti-fascist struggle in ItalyKingdom of Italy (1861–1946)The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
and in the Spanish Civil WarSpanish Civil WarThe Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939... - Enrico TotiEnrico TotiEnrico Toti was an Italian cyclist, patriot and hero of World War I.Enrico lost his left leg while working for Italian railways, at the age of 24. After his injury he became a cyclist....
(1882–1916), deportist, patriot and hero of World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... - Victor Emmanuel II of ItalyVictor Emmanuel II of ItalyVictor Emanuel II was king of Sardinia from 1849 and, on 17 March 1861, he assumed the title King of Italy to become the first king of a united Italy since the 6th century, a title he held until his death in 1878...
(1820–1878), king of Sardinia–Piedmont who became the first king of a united Italy - Victor Emmanuel III of ItalyVictor Emmanuel III of ItalyVictor Emmanuel III was a member of the House of Savoy and King of Italy . In addition, he claimed the crowns of Ethiopia and Albania and claimed the titles Emperor of Ethiopia and King of Albania , which were unrecognised by the Great Powers...
(1869–1947), king of Italy whose reign brought the end of the Italian monarchy
Italian republic
- Giulio AndreottiGiulio AndreottiGiulio Andreotti is an Italian politician of the now dissolved centrist Christian Democracy party. He served as the 42nd Prime Minister of Italy from 1972 to 1973, from 1976 to 1979 and from 1989 to 1992. He also served as Minister of the Interior , Defense Minister and Foreign Minister and he...
(born 1919), Christian DemocraticChristian Democracy (Italy)Christian Democracy was a Christian democratic party in Italy. It was founded in 1943 as the ideological successor of the historical Italian People's Party, which had the same symbol, a crossed shield ....
politician who was several times prime minister of Italy in the period from 1972 to 1992 - Enrico BerlinguerEnrico BerlinguerEnrico Berlinguer was an Italian politician; he was national secretary of the Italian Communist Party from 1972 until his death.-Early career:...
(1922–1984), secretary-general of the Italian Communist PartyItalian Communist PartyThe Italian Communist Party was a communist political party in Italy.The PCI was founded as Communist Party of Italy on 21 January 1921 in Livorno, by seceding from the Italian Socialist Party . Amadeo Bordiga and Antonio Gramsci led the split. Outlawed during the Fascist regime, the party played...
from March 1972 until his death - Silvio BerlusconiSilvio BerlusconiSilvio Berlusconi , also known as Il Cavaliere – from knighthood to the Order of Merit for Labour which he received in 1977 – is an Italian politician and businessman who served three terms as Prime Minister of Italy, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011. Berlusconi is also the...
(born 1936), media tycoon who served three times as prime minister of ItalyPrime minister of ItalyThe Prime Minister of Italy is the head of government of the Italian Republic...
(1994; 2001–06; 2008–11) - Umberto BossiUmberto BossiUmberto Bossi is an Italian politician, leader of the Northern League, a party seeking autonomy or independence for Northern Italy. He is married to Manuela Marrone and has four sons ....
(born 1941), politician who was leader (1991– ) of the Lega Nord party - Bettino CraxiBettino CraxiBenedetto Craxi was an Italian politician, head of the Italian Socialist Party from 1976 to 1993, the first socialist President of the Council of Ministers of Italy from 1983 to 1987.-Political career:...
(1934–2000), politician who became his nation’s first Socialist prime minister (1983–87) - Alcide De GasperiAlcide De GasperiAlcide De Gasperi was an Italian statesman and politician and founder of the Christian Democratic Party. From 1945 to 1953 he was the prime minister of eight successive coalition governments. His eight-year rule remains a landmark of political longevity for a leader in modern Italian politics...
(1881–1954), statesman and politician, considered to be one of the Founding fathers of the European UnionFounding fathers of the European UnionThe Founding Fathers of the European Union are a number of men who have been recognised as making a major contribution to the development of European unity and what is now the European Union. There is no official list of founding fathers or a single event defining them so some ideas vary.-Europe's... - Enrico De NicolaEnrico De NicolaEnrico Roberto De Nicola was an Italian jurist, journalist, politician, and the first provisional Head of State of the newborn republic of Italy from 1946 to 1948.-Biography:...
(1877–1959), politician, the first provisional Head of State of the newborn republic of Italy from 1946 to 1948 - Antonio Di PietroAntonio Di PietroAntonio Di Pietro is an Italian politician. He was a Member of the European Parliament, an Italian Senator, and Minister of the Prodi Government...
(born 1950), jurist and politician who uncovered a wide-ranging government corruptionPolitical corruptionPolitical corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
scandal - Luigi EinaudiLuigi EinaudiLuigi Einaudi , Cavaliere di Gran Croce decorato di Gran Cordone OMRI was an Italian politician and economist. He served as the second President of the Italian Republic between 1948 and 1955.-Early life:...
(1874–1961), economist and statesman, the first president (1948–55) of the Republic of Italy - Nilde Iotti (1920–1999), politician
- Aldo MoroAldo MoroAldo Moro was an Italian politician and the 39th Prime Minister of Italy, from 1963 to 1968, and then from 1974 to 1976. He was one of Italy's longest-serving post-war Prime Ministers, holding power for a combined total of more than six years....
(1916–1978), leader of the Christian Democratic Party, who served five times as premier of Italy. In 1978 he was kidnapped and subsequently murdered by left-wing terroristsRed BrigadesThe Red Brigades was a Marxist-Leninist terrorist organisation, based in Italy, which was responsible for numerous violent incidents, assassinations, and robberies during the so-called "Years of Lead"... - Romano ProdiRomano ProdiRomano Prodi is an Italian politician and statesman. He served as the Prime Minister of Italy, from 17 May 1996 to 21 October 1998 and from 17 May 2006 to 8 May 2008...
(born 1939), politician who was twice prime minister of Italy (1996–98; 2006–08) and who served as president of the European CommissionEuropean CommissionThe European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
(1999–2004) - Antonio SegniAntonio SegniAntonio Segni was an Italian politician who was the 35th Prime Minister of Italy , and the fourth President of the Italian Republic from 1962 to 1964...
(1891–1972), statesman, twice premier (1955–57, 1959–60), and fourth president (1962–64) of Italy - Luigi SturzoLuigi SturzoDon Luigi Sturzo was an Italian Catholic priest and politician. Known in his lifetime as a "clerical socialist," Sturzo is considered one of the fathers of Christian democracy. Sturzo was one of the founders of the Partito Popolare Italiano in 1919, but was forced into exile in 1924 with the rise...
(1871–1959), priest, public official, and political organizer who founded a party that was a forerunner of the Italian Christian Democrat movement - Palmiro TogliattiPalmiro TogliattiPalmiro Togliatti was an Italian politician and leader of the Italian Communist Party from 1927 until his death.-Early life:...
(1893–1964), politician who led the Italian Communist Party for nearly 40 years and made it the largest in western EuropeWestern EuropeWestern Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
Ancient Rome
- Amulius (1st cent. AD), Roman painter. One of the principal painters of the Domus AureaDomus AureaThe Domus Aurea was a large landscaped portico villa, designed to take advantage of artificially created landscapes built in the heart of Ancient Rome by the Emperor Nero after the Great Fire of Rome had cleared away the aristocratic dwellings on the slopes of the Palatine...
- Furius Dionysius Philocalus (4th cent. AD), Roman chronograph and painter
- PacuviusPacuviusMarcus Pacuvius was the greatest of the tragic poets of ancient Rome prior to Lucius Accius.He was the nephew and pupil of Ennius, by whom Roman tragedy was first raised to a position of influence and dignity...
(220 BC–130 BC), Roman writer and painter - Studius (1st cent. BC and 1st cent. AD), Roman painter of the Augustan period
Middle Ages
- AltichieroAltichieroAltichiero da Verona , also called Aldighieri da Zevio, was an Italian painter of the Gothic style. A follower of Giotto, Altichiero is credited with founding the Veronese school...
(c.CircaCirca , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
1330 – c. 1390), painter who was the effective founder of the Veronese school and perhaps the most significant northern Italian artist of the 14th century - Bonaventura BerlinghieriBonaventura BerlinghieriBonaventura Berlinghieri was an Italian painter from Lucca, Italy, of the Gothic period. He was the son of painter Berlinghiero Berlinghieri. He painted several panels and wall-paintings at Lucca, in 1235 and 1244. He is most famous for an altarpiece dedicated to the life of Francis of Assisi. This...
(fl.FloruitFloruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
1235–1244), painter of the Gothic periodGothic artGothic art was a Medieval art movement that developed in France out of Romanesque art in the mid-12th century, led by the concurrent development of Gothic architecture. It spread to all of Western Europe, but took over art more completely north of the Alps, never quite effacing more classical...
. His most celebrated work is St. Francis of Assisi (1235); one of the earliest icons of the SaintFrancis of AssisiSaint Francis of Assisi was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher. He founded the men's Franciscan Order, the women’s Order of St. Clare, and the lay Third Order of Saint Francis. St... - Pietro CavalliniPietro CavalliniPietro Cavallini was an Italian painter and mosaic designer working during the late Middle Ages. Little is known about his biography, though it is known he was from Rome, since he signed pictor romanus....
(c. 1250 – c. 1330), painter and mosaicist. His surviving works are frescoes in Santa Cecilia in TrastevereSanta Cecilia in TrastevereSanta Cecilia in Trastevere is a 5th century church in Rome, Italy, devoted to Saint Cecilia, in the Trastevere rione.-History:The first church on this site was founded probably in the 3rd century, by Pope Urban I; it was devoted to the Roman martyr Cecilia, martyred it is said under Marcus...
and in Santa Maria Donna Regina VecchiaSanta Maria Donna Regina VecchiaSanta Donna Regina Vecchia is a church in Naples, in southern Italy. It is called Vecchia to distinguish it from the newer and adjacent church of Santa Maria Donna Regina Nuova.... - CimabueCimabueCimabue , also known as Bencivieni di Pepo or in modern Italian, Benvenuto di Giuseppe, was an Italian painter and creator of mosaics from Florence....
(before 1251–1302), painter and mosaicist. Among his works may be cited the Sta. Trinità Madonna (c. 1290) and the Madonna Enthroned with St. Francis (c. 1290–95) - Coppo di MarcovaldoCoppo di MarcovaldoCoppo di Marcovaldo was an Italian painter active in Tuscany.-Biography:He was born in Florence, and is mentioned as active in Pistoia in 1265, where he frescoed the St...
(fl. 1260–1276), painter, one of the earliest about whom there is a body of documented knowledge. His one signed work is the Madonna del BordoneMadonna del BordoneThe Madonna del Bordone is a panel painting by the Italian painter Coppo di Marcovaldo, in the church of Santa Maria dei Servi in Siena, Italy....
(1261) - Bernardo DaddiBernardo DaddiBernardo Daddi was an early Italian renaissance painter and apprentice of Giotto. He was also influenced by the Sienese art of Lorenzetti....
(c. 1280–1348), painter, the outstanding painter in Florence in the period after the death of Giotto (who was possibly his teacher) - DuccioDuccioDuccio di Buoninsegna was one of the most influential Italian artists of his time. Born in Siena, Tuscany, he worked mostly with pigment and egg tempera and like most of his contemporaries painted religious subjects...
(fl. 1278–1319), painter. Founder of the Sienese schoolSienese SchoolThe Sienese School of painting flourished in Siena, Italy between the 13th and 15th centuries and for a time rivaled Florence, though it was more conservative, being inclined towards the decorative beauty and elegant grace of late Gothic art...
. His most celebrated work is a large altar called the MaestàMaestà (Duccio)The Maestà, or Maestà of Duccio is an altarpiece composed of many individual paintings commissioned by the city of Siena in 1308 from the artist Duccio di Buoninsegna. The front panels make up a large enthroned Madonna and Child with saints and angels, and a predella of the Childhood of Christ...
(1308–1311) in the Siena cathedral - Taddeo GaddiTaddeo GaddiTaddeo Gaddi was a medieval Italian painter and architect.-Biography:He was the son of Gaddo di Zanobi, called Gaddo Gaddi. He was a member of Giotto's workshop from 1313 to 1337, when his master died...
(c. 1300–1366), painter and architect. His best-known work is the fresco series Life of the Virgin (completed in 1338) - GiottinoGiottinoGiottino was an early Italian painter from Florence. His real name was Maso di Stefano or Tommaso di Stefano....
(fl. 1324–1369), painter of the school of Giotto. He has been credited with frescoes in Basilica of Santa Croce, FlorenceFlorenceFlorence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, and in the Lower Church of St. FrancisBasilica of San Francesco d'AssisiThe Papal Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Order of Friars Minor—commonly known as the Franciscan Order—in Assisi, Italy, the city where St. Francis was born and died. The basilica is one of the most important places of Christian pilgrimage in Italy...
in AssisiAssisi- Churches :* The Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi is a World Heritage Site. The Franciscan monastery, il Sacro Convento, and the lower and upper church of St Francis were begun immediately after his canonization in 1228, and completed in 1253... - Giotto di BondoneGiotto di BondoneGiotto di Bondone , better known simply as Giotto, was an Italian painter and architect from Florence in the late Middle Ages...
(1266/7–1337), painter, the first of the great Italian masters. His work includes cycles of frescoes in AssisiAssisi- Churches :* The Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi is a World Heritage Site. The Franciscan monastery, il Sacro Convento, and the lower and upper church of St Francis were begun immediately after his canonization in 1228, and completed in 1253...
, the Arena Chapel in PaduaPaduaPadua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
and the Church of Santa Croce - Guido of SienaGuido of SienaGuido of Siena, was an Italian Byzantine style painter of the 13th century.The name Guido is known from the large panel in the church of S. Domenico in Siena of the . The rhymed Latin inscription gives the painter's name as Guido de Senis, with the date 1221. However, this date cannot relate to...
(13th cent.), painter. One of the innovators in Italian art after the dominance of the Byzantine styleByzantine artByzantine art is the term commonly used to describe the artistic products of the Byzantine Empire from about the 5th century until the Fall of Constantinople in 1453.... - Ambrogio LorenzettiAmbrogio LorenzettiAmbrogio Lorenzetti was an Italian painter of the Sienese school. He was active between approximately 1317 to 1348. His elder brother was the painter Pietro Lorenzetti....
(c. 1290–1348), painter of the Sienese school. His greatest achievement is the cycle of frescoes (1337–39) in the Palazzo PubblicoPalazzo PubblicoThe Palazzo Pubblico is a palace in Siena, Tuscany, central Italy. Construction began in 1297 and its original purpose was to house the republican government, consisting of the Podestà and Council of Nine....
, SienaSienaSiena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008... - Pietro LorenzettiPietro LorenzettiPietro Lorenzetti was an Italian painter, active between approximately 1306 and 1345. His younger brother was the painter Ambrogio Lorenzetti....
(c. 1280–1348), painter of the Sienese school. His Nativity of the VirginNativity of the Virgin (Pietro Lorenzetti)The Nativity of the Virgin is a painting by the Italian late medieval painter Pietro Lorenzetti, dating from around 1335-1342, now housed in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo of Siena, Italy.-History:The painting originally decorated the altar of St...
(c. 1335-1342), is notable for his handling of perspective - Simone MartiniSimone MartiniSimone Martini was an Italian painter born in Siena.He was a major figure in the development of early Italian painting and greatly influenced the development of the International Gothic style....
(c. 1284–1344), painter, important exponent of Gothic art. Among his works may be cited the Maestà fresco (1315) and Annunciation and two Saints (1333) - Lippo MemmiLippo MemmiLippo Memmi was an Italian painter from Siena. He was the foremost follower of Simone Martini, who was his brother-in-law....
(c. 1291–1356), painter from SienaSienaSiena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
. One of the artists who worked at the Orvieto Cathedral, for which he finished the Madonna dei Raccomandati (c. 1320) - Orcagna (c. 1308–1368), painter, sculptor and architect. He was one of the leading artistArtistAn artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
s of his day - Paolo VenezianoPaolo VenezianoPaolo Veneziano, also Veneziano Paolo or Paolo da Venezia was a medieval painter from Venice. He has been called "the most important Venetian painter of the 14thcentury"....
(fl. 1333–1358), painter and possibly illuminator. He was by far the most prolific and influential Venetian painter of the early 14th century - Giunta PisanoGiunta PisanoGiunta Pisano was an Italian painter. He is the earliest Italian painter whose name is found inscribed on an extant work. He is best known for his crucifixes.He is said to have exercised his art from 1202 to 1236...
(fl. 1236–1255), painter. Three large CrucifixionCrucifixionCrucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
s are ascribed to the same master, whose signature can be traced on them - Jacopo TorritiJacopo TorritiJacopo Torriti or Turriti was an Italian painter and mosaic maker who lived in the 13th century.He worked in the decoration in San Giovanni in Laterano and Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. Those in the Lateran were carried out in conjunction with the Franciscan monk, Jacopo Camerino...
(fl. 1270–1300), painter and mosaicist. His work is now known only from two highly prominent signed apse mosaicMosaicMosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
s in the basilicas of St. John Lateran and Santa Maria Maggiore
Renaissance and Mannerism
- Mariotto AlbertinelliMariotto AlbertinelliMariotto di Bigio di Bindo Albertinelli was a High Renaissance Italian painter of the Florentine school, closely involved with Fra Bartolomeo and influenced by Raphael.-Biography:Mariotto Albertinelli was born in Florence...
(1474–1515), painter. His best-known works are The Visitation (1503) and The Annunciation (1510) - Alessandro AlloriAlessandro AlloriAlessandro di Cristofano di Lorenzo del Bronzino Allori was an Italian portrait painter of the late Mannerist Florentine school....
(1535–1607), painter. His varied output included altarpieces, portraits, and tapestry designs. The Pearl Fishing (1570–1572) is generally considered his masterpiece - Andrea del CastagnoAndrea del CastagnoAndrea del Castagno was an Italian painter from Florence, influenced chiefly by Tommaso Masaccio and Giotto di Bondone. His works include frescoes in Sant'Apollonia in Florence and the painted equestrian monument of Niccolò da Tolentino in the Cathedral in Florence...
(c. 1421–1457), painter, leading artist in the early Florentine Renaissance. In 1447 he began his greatest work, a series of monumental frescoes depicting the Last SupperLast SupperThe Last Supper is the final meal that, according to Christian belief, Jesus shared with his Twelve Apostles in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. The Last Supper provides the scriptural basis for the Eucharist, also known as "communion" or "the Lord's Supper".The First Epistle to the Corinthians is... - Andrea del SartoAndrea del SartoAndrea del Sarto was an Italian painter from Florence, whose career flourished during the High Renaissance and early Mannerism. Though highly regarded during his lifetime as an artist senza errori , his renown was eclipsed after his death by that of his contemporaries, Leonardo da Vinci,...
(1486–1530), painter. His most striking among other well-known works is the series of frescoes on the life of St. John the Baptist in the Chiostro dello Scalzo (c. 1515–1526) - Andrea del VerrocchioAndrea del VerrocchioAndrea del Verrocchio , born Andrea di Michele di Francesco de' Cioni, was an Italian sculptor, goldsmith and painter who worked at the court of Lorenzo de' Medici in Florence in the early renaissance. Few paintings are attributed to him with certainty, but a number of important painters were...
(c. 1435–1488), sculptor and painter. Among his principal paintings are Baptism of ChristThe Baptism of Christ (Verrocchio)The Baptism of Christ is a painting finished around 1475 in the studio of the Italian Renaissance painter Andrea del Verrocchio and generally ascribed to him and his pupil Leonardo da Vinci. Some art historians discern the hands of other members of Verrocchio's workshop in the painting as well...
(1472–1475) and several versions of the Madonna and Child - Sofonisba AnguissolaSofonisba AnguissolaSofonisba Anguissola was an Italian painter of the Renaissance.-The Anguissola family:...
(c. 1535–1625), painter, mainly of portraits, the first woman artist to win international renown - Antonello da MessinaAntonello da MessinaAntonello da Messina, properly Antonello di Giovanni di Antonio was an Italian painter from Messina, Sicily, active during the Italian Renaissance...
(c. 1430–1479), painter. He was the greatest SicilianSicilySicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
artistArtistAn artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
of the 15th century and the only one to achieve international renown. His major works were altarpieceAltarpieceAn altarpiece is a picture or relief representing a religious subject and suspended in a frame behind the altar of a church. The altarpiece is often made up of two or more separate panels created using a technique known as panel painting. It is then called a diptych, triptych or polyptych for two,...
s and portraitPortraitthumb|250px|right|Portrait of [[Thomas Jefferson]] by [[Rembrandt Peale]], 1805. [[New-York Historical Society]].A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. The intent is to display the likeness,...
s - Antonio da CorreggioAntonio da CorreggioAntonio Allegri da Correggio , usually known as Correggio, was the foremost painter of the Parma school of the Italian Renaissance, who was responsible for some of the most vigorous and sensuous works of the 16th century...
(1489–1534), painter. His best-known works are the frescoes in the domes of San Giovanni Evangelista and the Cathedral of ParmaCathedral of ParmaParma Cathedral is a cathedral church in Parma, Emilia-Romagna . It is an important Italian Romanesque cathedral: the dome, in particular, is decorated by a highly influential illusionistic fresco by Renaissance painter Antonio da Correggio....
, where he worked from 1520 to 1530 - Giuseppe ArcimboldoGiuseppe ArcimboldoGiuseppe Arcimboldo was an Italian painter best known for creating imaginative portrait heads made entirely of such objects as fruits, vegetables, flowers, fish, and books – that is, he painted representations of these objects on the canvas arranged in such a way that the whole collection of...
(1527–1593), painter, famous for his allegorical or symbolical compositions in which he arranged objects such as fruits and vegetables into the form of the human face - Alesso Baldovinetti (1425–1499), painter. He contributed importantly to the fledgling art of landscape painting
- Jacopo de' BarbariJacopo de' BarbariJacopo de' Barbari, sometimes known or referred to as de'Barbari, de Barberi, de Barbari, Barbaro, Barberino, Barbarigo or Barberigo , was an Italian painter and printmaker with a highly individual style. He moved from Venice to Germany in 1500, thus becoming the first Italian Renaissance artist...
(c. 1440 – before 1516), painter and printmaker. His few surviving paintings (about twelve) include the first known example of trompe-l'œil since antiquity - Federico BarocciFederico BarocciFederico Barocci was an Italian Renaissance painter and printmaker. His original name was Federico Fiori, and he was nicknamed Il Baroccio, which still in northwestern Italian dialects means a two wheel cart drawn by oxen...
(c. 1526–1612), leading painter of the central Italian school in the last decades of the 16th century and an important precursor of the Baroque style - Jacopo BassanoJacopo BassanoJacopo Bassano , known also as Jacopo dal Ponte, was an Italian painter who was born and died in Bassano del Grappa near Venice, from which he adopted the name.- Life :...
(c. 1510–1592), painter of the Venetian schoolVenetian school (art)-Context:In the 15th century Venetian painting developed through influences from the Paduan School and Antonello da Messina, who introduced the oil painting technique of Early Netherlandish painting. It is typified by a warm colour scale and a picturesque use of colour...
, known for his religious paintings, lush landscapes, and scenes of everyday life - Domenico di Pace BeccafumiDomenico di Pace BeccafumiDomenico di Pace Beccafumi was an Italian Renaissance-Mannerist painter active predominantly in Siena. He is considered one of the last undiluted representatives of the Sienese school of painting.-Biography:...
(1486–1551), painter, sculptor, draughtsman, printmaker and illuminator. He was one of the protagonists of Tuscan Mannerism - Gentile BelliniGentile BelliniGentile Bellini was an Italian painter. From 1474 he was the official portrait artist for the Doges of Venice.- Biography :...
(c. 1429–1507), painter, member of the founding family of the Venetian schoolVenetian school (art)-Context:In the 15th century Venetian painting developed through influences from the Paduan School and Antonello da Messina, who introduced the oil painting technique of Early Netherlandish painting. It is typified by a warm colour scale and a picturesque use of colour...
of Renaissance painting, best known for his portraiture and his scenes of Venice - Giovanni BelliniGiovanni BelliniGiovanni Bellini was an Italian Renaissance painter, probably the best known of the Bellini family of Venetian painters. His father was Jacopo Bellini, his brother was Gentile Bellini, and his brother-in-law was Andrea Mantegna. He is considered to have revolutionized Venetian painting, moving it...
(c. 1430–1516), painter. Among his works may be cited St. Francis in Ecstasy (c. 1480) and Portrait of Doge Leonardo LoredanPortrait of Doge Leonardo LoredanThe Portrait of Doge Leonardo Loredan is a painting by the Italian Renaissance master Giovanni Bellini, dating from 1501. It is on display in the National Gallery in London....
(1501) - Jacopo BelliniJacopo BelliniJacopo Bellini was an Italian painter. Jacopo was one of the founders of the Renaissance style of painting in Venice and northern Italy. His sons Gentile and Giovanni Bellini, and his son-in-law Andrea Mantegna, were also famous painters....
(c. 1400 – c. 1470), painter who introduced the principles of Florentine early Renaissance art into Venice - Ambrogio BergognoneAmbrogio BergognoneAmbrogio Borgognone Ambrogio Borgognone Ambrogio Borgognone (variously known as Ambrogio da Fossano, Ambrogio di Stefano da Fossano, Ambrogio Stefani da Fossano or as il Bergognone, c...
(c. 1470–1523/1524), painter. His most important works are the frescoes in the Certosa di PaviaCertosa di PaviaThe Certosa di Pavia Gra-Car , Shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of Grace, is a monastery and complex in Lombardy, northern Italy, situated near a small town of the same name in the Province of Pavia, 8 km north of Pavia... - Boccaccio BoccaccinoBoccaccio BoccaccinoBoccaccio Boccaccino was a painter of the early Italian Renaissance, belonging to the Emilian school. He is profiled in Vasari's Le Vite delle più eccellenti pittori, scultori, ed architettori .He was born in Ferrara and studied there, probably under Domenico Panetti...
(c. 1467 – c. 1525), painter. His most impressive work is the fresco cycle of the Life of the Virgin along the nave in the cathedral at Cremona - Giovanni Antonio BoltraffioGiovanni Antonio BoltraffioGiovanni Antonio Boltraffio was an Italian painter of the High Renaissance from Lombardy, who worked in the studio of Leonardo da Vinci. Boltraffio and Bernardino Luini are the strongest artistic personalities to emerge from Leonardo's studio...
(1466/1467–1516), painter. He was a pupil of Leonardo da Vinci, whose style he adhered to faithfully - Paris BordoneParis BordoneParis Bordon was an Italian painter of the Venetian Renaissance who, despite training with Titian, maintained a strand of mannerist complexity and provincial vigor.-Biography:...
(1500–1571), painter of religious, mythological, and anecdotal subjects. He is perhaps best known for his striking sexualized paintings of women - Sandro BotticelliSandro BotticelliAlessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi, better known as Sandro Botticelli was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance...
(c. 1445–1510), painter of the Florentine school. The PrimaveraPrimavera (painting)Primavera, also known as Allegory of Spring, is a tempera panel painting by Italian Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli. Painted ca. 1482, the painting is described in Culture & Values as "[o]ne of the most popular paintings in Western art"...
(c. 1482) and The Birth of VenusThe Birth of Venus (Botticelli)The Birth of Venus is a painting by Sandro Botticelli. It depicts the goddess Venus, having emerged from the sea as a fully grown woman, arriving at the sea-shore...
(c. 1486) rank now among the most familiar masterpieces of Florentine art - Francesco BotticiniFrancesco BotticiniFrancesco di Giovanni Botticini was an Italian Early Renaissance painter. He studied under Cosimo Rosselli and Andrea del Verrocchio. He was born in Florence in 1446 and is mostly remembered for his painting entitled "Assumption of the Virgin"; he died in 1498...
(1446–1498), painter profoundly influenced by Castagno; worked under and was formed by Cosimo Rosselli and Verrocchio - BramantinoBramantinoBartolomeo Suardi, best known as Bramantino , was an Italian painter and architect, mainly active in his native Milan.-Biography:...
(c. 1456 – c. 1530), painter and architect, a follower of Bramante, from whom he takes his nickname - Bronzino (1503–1572), painter. He is noted chiefly for his stylized portraits. Of his religious works, Deposition of ChristDeposition of Christ (Bronzino)The Deposition of Christ is a painting by the Italian artist Agnolo di Cosimo, known as Bronzino, finished in 1540-1545. It is housed in the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Besançon, France....
(1540–1545) is the most famous - Luca CambiasiLuca CambiasiLuca Cambiasi was an Italian painter and draftsman, familiarly known as Lucchetto da Genova.-Biography:...
(1527–1585), painter and draughtsman. He was the outstanding Genoese painter of the 16th century - Vittore CarpaccioVittore CarpaccioVittore Carpaccio was an Italian painter of the Venetian school, who studied under Gentile Bellini. He is best known for a cycle of nine paintings, The Legend of Saint Ursula. His style was somewhat conservative, showing little influence from the Humanist trends that transformed Italian...
(c. 1460–1525/1526), painter active in Venice. Among his best paintings are the cycle depicting the life of Saint UrsulaSaint UrsulaSaint Ursula is a British Christian saint. Her feast day in the extraordinary form calendar of the Catholic Church is October 21...
and the Saint GeorgeSaint GeorgeSaint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier from Syria Palaestina and a priest in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic , Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and the Oriental Orthodox...
series - Cennino Cennini (c. 1370 – c. 1440), painter. He is best known for writing Il libro dell'arte (1437), the most informative source on the methods, techniques, and attitudes of medieval artists
- CigoliCigoliLodovico Cardi , also known as Cigoli, was an Italian painter and architect of the late Mannerist and early Baroque period, trained and active in his early career in Florence, and spending the last nine years of his life in Rome.Lodovico Cardi was born at Villa Castelvecchio di Cigoli, in Tuscany,...
(1559–1613), painter, draughtsman, architect and scenographer. He was one of the most influential artists in 17th-century Florence - Cima da ConeglianoCima da ConeglianoGiovanni Battista Cima, also called Cima da Conegliano was an Italian Renaissance painter.-Biography:Giovanni Battista Cima was born at Conegliano, now part of the province of Treviso, in 1459 or 1460...
(c. 1459 – c. 1517), painter of the Venetian school whose style was marked by its use of landscape and by airy, luminous colour - Niccolò Antonio ColantonioNiccolò Antonio ColantonioColantonio was an Italian painter, who was the outstanding native figure in the art of Naples in the Early Renaissance. Details of his life are obscure, though the Neapolitan Renaissance humanist Pietro Summonte gave brief details in a letter to the Venetian Marcantonio Michiel in 1524. A...
(fl. 1440–1470), painter, based in NaplesNaplesNaples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, where he painted religious paintings in a style marked by Flemish influence - Francesco del CossaFrancesco del CossaFrancesco del Cossa was an Italian early-Renaissance painter of the School of Ferrara.-Biography:...
(c. 1430 – c. 1477), painter of the Ferrarese school. The his best-known work are the frescoes in the Palazzo SchifanoiaPalazzo SchifanoiaPalazzo Schifanoia is a Renaissance palace in Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna built for the Este family. The name "Schifanoia" is thought to originate from "schivar la noia" meaning literally to "escape from boredom" which describes accurately the original intention of the palazzo and the other villas...
at FerraraFerraraFerrara is a city and comune in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital city of the Province of Ferrara. It is situated 50 km north-northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream of the Po River, located 5 km north...
(probably commissioned in 1469) - Lorenzo CostaLorenzo CostaLorenzo Costa was an Italian painter of the Renaissance.-Biography:He was born at Ferrara, but moved to Bologna by the his early twenties, and would be more influential to the Bolognese school of painting. However, many artists worked in both nearby cities, and thus others consider him a product...
(1460–1535), painter of the Ferrarese and Bolognese schools. He is most well known for his painting the Madonna and Child with the Bentivoglio family (1483) - Carlo CrivelliCarlo CrivelliCarlo Crivelli was an Italian Renaissance painter of conservative Late Gothic decorative sensibility, who spent his early years in the Veneto, where he absorbed influences from the Vivarini, Squarcione and Mantegna...
(c. 1435 – c. 1495), painter. All his works were of religious subjects, done in an elaborate, old-fashioned style reminiscent of the linearism of Andrea Mantegna - Daniele da VolterraDaniele da VolterraDaniele Ricciarelli , better known as Daniele da Volterra, was an Italian mannerist painter and sculptor.He is best remembered for his association, for better or worse, with the late Michelangelo. Several of Daniele's most important works were based on designs made for that purpose by Michelangelo...
(c. 1509–1566), painter and sculptor, noted for his finely drawn, highly idealized figures done in the style of Michelangelo - Ercole de' RobertiErcole de' Robertithumb|240px|Portrait of [[Giovanni II Bentivoglio]] . National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.Ercole de' Roberti , also known as Ercole Ferrarese or Ercole da Ferrara, was an Italian artist of the Early Renaissance and the School of Ferrara...
(c. 1451–1496), painter. His dynamic figurative compositions are marked by an exceptional intensity of feeling - Francesco de' RossiFrancesco de' Rossi (Il Salviati)Francesco de' Rossi was an Italian Mannerist painter from Florence, also active in Rome. He is known by many names, prominently the adopted name Francesco Salviati or as Il Salviati, but also Francesco Rossi and Cecchino del Salviati.-Biography:Salviati was born and died in Florence...
(1510–1563), painter and designer, one of the leading Mannerist fresco painters of the Florentine-Roman school - Niccolò dell'AbbateNiccolò dell'AbbateNicolò dell' Abate, sometimes Niccolò, was an Italian painter and decorator. He was of the Emilian school, and was part of the staff of artists called the School of Fontainebleau that introduced the Italianate Renaissance to France.-Biography:Niccolò dell'Abbate was born in Modena, the son of a...
(1509 or 1512–1571), painter and decorator. He is credited with introducing landscape painting in France - Dosso DossiDosso DossiDosso Dossi , real name Giovanni di Niccolò de Luteri, was an Italian Renaissance painter who belonged to the Ferrara School of Painting.-Biography:Dossi was born in San Giovanni del Dosso a village in the province of Mantua...
(c. 1490–1542), painter and leader of the Ferrarese schoolSchool of Ferrara (painting)The School of Ferrara was a group of painters which flourished in the Duchy of Ferrara during the Renaissance. Ferrara was ruled by the Este family, well known for its patronage of the arts. Patronage was extended with the ascent of Ercole d'Este I in 1470, and the family continued in power till...
in the 16th century - Gaudenzio FerrariGaudenzio FerrariGaudenzio Ferrari was a Northern Italian painter and sculptor of the Renaissance.-Biography:Gaudenzio was born at Valduggia in the Valsesia in the Duchy of Milan. Valduggia is now in the Province of Vercelli in Piedmont. He is said to have first learned the art of painting at Vercelli from...
(c. 1471–1546), painter and sculptor, one of the leading representatives of the Lombard school - Rosso FiorentinoRosso FiorentinoGiovanni Battista di Jacopo , known as Rosso Fiorentino , or Il Rosso, was an Italian Mannerist painter, in oil and fresco, belonging to the Florentine school.-Biography:...
(1494–1540), painter. His masterpiece is generally considered to be the Deposition or Descent from the CrossDescent from the CrossThe Descent from the Cross , or Deposition of Christ, is the scene, as depicted in art, from the Gospels' accounts of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus taking Christ down from the cross after his crucifixion . In Byzantine art the topic became popular in the 9th century, and in the West from the...
altarpieceAltarpieceAn altarpiece is a picture or relief representing a religious subject and suspended in a frame behind the altar of a church. The altarpiece is often made up of two or more separate panels created using a technique known as panel painting. It is then called a diptych, triptych or polyptych for two,...
in the Pinacoteca Comunale di VolterraVolterraVolterra, known to the ancient Etruscans as Velathri, to the Romans as Volaterrae, is a town and comune in the Tuscany region of Italy.-History:... - Lavinia FontanaLavinia FontanaLavinia Fontana was an Italian painter.-Biography:Lavinia Fontana was born in Bologna, the daughter of the painter Prospero Fontana, who was a prominent painter of the School of Bologna at the time and served as her teacher...
(1552–1614), painter. She was one of the first women painters in European history to have enjoyed professional success - Prospero FontanaProspero FontanaProspero Fontana was an Italian painter of the late Renaissance.-Biography:Fontana was born in Bologna, and became a pupil of Innocenzo da Imola. He afterwards worked for Perin del Vaga in the Palazzo Doria in Genoa. Towards 1550, it is reported that Michelangelo introduced him to Pope Julius III...
(1512–1597), painter, father of Lavinia Fontana. One of the leading painters in Bologna - Vincenzo FoppaVincenzo FoppaVincenzo Foppa was a Northern-Italian Renaissance painter.He was an elderly contemporary of Leonardo da Vinci. Born at Bagnolo Mella, near Brescia in the Republic of Venice, he settled in Pavia around 1456, serving the dukes of Milan and emerging as one of the most prominent Lombard painters....
(c. 1430 – c. 1515), painter, leading figure in 15th-century Lombard art - Fra AngelicoFra AngelicoFra Angelico , born Guido di Pietro, was an Early Italian Renaissance painter described by Vasari in his Lives of the Artists as having "a rare and perfect talent"...
(c. 1395–1455), painter. His most notable works are frescoes at the monastery of San MarcoSan Marco, FlorenceSan Marco is the name of a religious complex in Florence, Italy. It comprises a church and a convent. The convent, which is now a museum, has three claims to fame: during the 15th century it was home to two famous Dominicans, the painter Fra Angelico and the preacher, Girolamo Savonarola...
, FlorenceFlorenceFlorence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, and in the chapel of Pope Nicholas VPope Nicholas VPope Nicholas V , born Tommaso Parentucelli, was Pope from March 6, 1447 to his death in 1455.-Biography:He was born at Sarzana, Liguria, where his father was a physician...
in the VaticanVatican CityVatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of... - Fra Bartolomeo (1472–1517), painter, a leading figure of the High Renaissance. Noted for his austere religious works
- FranciabigioFranciabigioFranciabigio was an Italian painter of the Florentine Renaissance. His true name may have been Francesco di Cristofano, however he also is referred to as either Marcantonio Franciabigio or Francia Bigio....
(1482–1525), painter, best known for his portraits and religious paintings - Agnolo GaddiAgnolo GaddiAgnolo Gaddi was an Italian painter. He was the son and pupil of the painter Taddeo Gaddi.Taddeo Gaddi was himself the major pupil of the Florentine master Giotto...
(c. 1350–1396), painter. He was an influential and prolific artist who was the last major Florentine painter stylistically descended from Giotto - Fede GaliziaFede GaliziaFede Galizia was an Italian Renaissance painter, a pioneer of the still life genre.- Life:Fede Gallizi, better known as Galizia, was born in Milan in 1578. Her father, Nunzio Galizia, also a painter of miniatures, had moved to Milan from Trento. Fede learned to paint from him...
(1578–1630), painter, one of the earliest still lifeStill lifeA still life is a work of art depicting mostly inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which may be either natural or man-made...
painters in Italy, who was also known for miniature portraits, landscapes, and religious subjects - Gentile da FabrianoGentile da FabrianoGentile da Fabriano was an Italian painter known for his participation in the International Gothic style. He worked in various places in central Italy, mostly in Tuscany. His best known works are his Adoration of the Magi and the Flight into Egypt.-Biography:Gentile was born in or near Fabriano,...
(c. 1370–1427), painter, one of the outstanding exponents of the elegant international GothicInternational GothicInternational Gothic is a phase of Gothic art which developed in Burgundy, Bohemia, France and northern Italy in the late 14th century and early 15th century...
style - Domenico GhirlandaioDomenico GhirlandaioDomenico Ghirlandaio was an Italian Renaissance painter from Florence. Among his many apprentices was Michelangelo.-Early years:Ghirlandaio's full name is given as Domenico di Tommaso di Currado di Doffo Bigordi...
(1449–1494), painter. His most famous achievement is his fresco cycle of the life of MaryMary (mother of Jesus)Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
and St. John the BaptistJohn the BaptistJohn the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
for the choir of Santa Maria Novella (1485–1490) - Ridolfo Ghirlandaio (1483–1561), painter. He was the son of Domenico Ghirlandaio, and was trained in his father's workshop
- GiorgioneGiorgioneGiorgione was a Venetian painter of the High Renaissance in Venice, whose career was cut off by his death at a little over thirty. Giorgione is known for the elusive poetic quality of his work, though only about six surviving paintings are acknowledged for certain to be his work...
(c. 1477/8–1510), painter of the Venetian school. The his The Tempest (c. 1508), a milestone in Renaissance landscape painting - Giovanni da UdineGiovanni da UdineGiovanni Nanni, also Giovanni de' Ricamatori, better known as Giovanni da Udine , was an Italian painter and architect born in Udine....
(1487–1564), painter and architect. A pupil of Raphael and one of his assistants in painting the frescoes of the Vatican - Giovanni di PaoloGiovanni di PaoloGiovanni di Paolo di Grazia was an Italian painter, working primarily in Siena. He may have apprenticed with Taddeo di Bartolo, becoming a prolific painter and illustrator of manuscripts, including Dante's texts....
(c. 1403–1482), painter. One of the most attractive and idiosyncratic painters of the Sienese School - Stefano di GiovanniStefano di GiovanniStefano di Giovanni di Consolo, known as il Sassetta was an Italian painter.He was born in Siena, although there is also an hypothesis that he was born in Cortona. The first historical record of him was anyway in Siena in 1423. Sassetta was the apprentice of Paolo di Giovanni Fei or Benedetto di...
(c. 1400–1450), painter of the Sienese school, is noted for the gentle piety of his art - Benozzo GozzoliBenozzo GozzoliBenozzo Gozzoli was an Italian Renaissance painter from Florence. He is best known for a series of murals in the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi depicting festive, vibrant processions with wonderful attention to detail and a pronounced International Gothic influence.-Apprenticeship:He was born Benozzo di...
(c. 1421–1497), painter. He is famous for his numerous frescos, such as The Journey of the Magi to Bethlehem (1459–1461) in the Medici Palace, Florence - Leonardo da VinciLeonardo da VinciLeonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
(1452–1519), painter, sculptor, architect, musician, engineer and scientist. The supreme example of RenaissanceRenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
geniusGeniusGenius is something or someone embodying exceptional intellectual ability, creativity, or originality, typically to a degree that is associated with the achievement of unprecedented insight....
. Author of Mona LisaMona LisaMona Lisa is a portrait by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. It is a painting in oil on a poplar panel, completed circa 1503–1519...
(c. 1503–1506) - Filippino LippiFilippino LippiFilippino Lippi was an Italian painter working during the High Renaissance in Florence, Italy.-Biography:...
(c. 1457–1504), painter. His most popular painting is the Apparition of the Virgin to St. BernardApparition of the Virgin to St Bernard (Filippino Lippi)Apparition of the Virgin to St. Bernard is a painting by the Italian Renaissance painter Filippino Lippi, dated 1480. It is housed in the Badia Fiorentina, a church in Florence....
altarpiece (1480) - Filippo LippiFilippo LippiFra' Filippo Lippi , also called Lippo Lippi, was an Italian painter of the Italian Quattrocento .-Biography and works:...
(c. 1406–1469), painter. His finest fresco cycle is in Prato cathedralPrato CathedralThe Cathedral of Prato is the main Catholic church of Prato, Tuscany, Central Italy and seat of the bishop. It is dedicated to St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr. It is one of the most ancient churches in the city, existing already in the 10th century and having been built and in several...
and depicts the lives of St. Stephen and St. John the BaptistJohn the BaptistJohn the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River... - Gian Paolo LomazzoGian Paolo LomazzoGian Paolo Lomazzo was an Italian painter, more remembered for his writings on art theory, belonging to the second generation that produced Mannerism in Italian art and architecture.Gian Paolo Lomazzo was born in Milan from a family emigrated from the town of Lomazzo...
(1538–1592), painter. His first work, Trattato dell'arte della pittura, scoltura et architettura (1584) is in part a guide to contemporary concepts of decorumDecorumDecorum was a principle of classical rhetoric, poetry and theatrical theory that was about the fitness or otherwise of a style to a theatrical subject... - Lorenzo di CrediLorenzo di CrediLorenzo di Credi was an Italian Renaissance painter and sculptor. He first influenced Leonardo da Vinci and then was greatly influenced by him.-Life:...
(1459–1537), painter and sculptor. Examples of his art are the Madonna with Child and Two Saints and Adoration - Lorenzo MonacoLorenzo MonacoLorenzo Monaco was an Italian painter of the late Gothic-early Renaissance age.-Biography:...
(c. 1370 – c. 1425), painter, one of the leading artists in Florence at the beginning of the 15th century - Lorenzo LottoLorenzo LottoLorenzo Lotto was a Northern Italian painter draughtsman and illustrator, traditionally placed in the Venetian school. He painted mainly altarpieces, religious subjects and portraits...
(c. 1480–1556), painter known for his perceptive portraits and mystical paintings of religious subjects - Bernardino LuiniBernardino LuiniBernardino Luini was a North Italian painter from Leonardo's circle. Both Luini and Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio were said to have worked with Leonardo directly; he was described to have taken "as much from Leonardo as his native roots enabled him to comprehend". Consequently many of his works were...
(c. 1480/1482–1532), painter, best known for his mythological and religious frescoes - Andrea MantegnaAndrea MantegnaAndrea Mantegna was an Italian painter, a student of Roman archeology, and son in law of Jacopo Bellini. Like other artists of the time, Mantegna experimented with perspective, e.g., by lowering the horizon in order to create a sense of greater monumentality...
(c. 1431–1506), painter. His most important works were nine tempera pictures of Triumph of Caesar (c. 1486) and his decoration of the ceiling of the Camera degli Sposi - MasaccioMasaccioMasaccio , born Tommaso di Ser Giovanni di Simone, was the first great painter of the Quattrocento period of the Italian Renaissance. According to Vasari, Masaccio was the best painter of his generation because of his skill at recreating lifelike figures and movements as well as a convincing sense...
(1401–1428), painter. The his most famous works are the frescoes in the Brancacci ChapelBrancacci ChapelThe Brancacci Chapel is a chapel in the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine in Florence, central Italy. It is sometimes called the "Sistine Chapel of the early Renaissance" for its painting cycle, among the most famous and influential of the period. Construction of the chapel was commissioned by...
and in the church of Santa Maria del CarmineSanta Maria del Carmine, FlorenceSanta Maria del Carmine is a church of the Carmelite Order, in the Oltrarno district of Florence, in Tuscany, Italy. It is famous as the location of the Brancacci Chapel housing outstanding Renaissance frescoes by Masaccio and Masolino da Panicale, later finished by Filippino Lippi.-History:The...
, in FlorenceFlorenceFlorence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area.... - Masolino da PanicaleMasolino da PanicaleMasolino da Panicale was an Italian painter. His best known works are probably his collaborations with Masaccio: Madonna with Child and St. Anne and the frescoes in the Brancacci Chapel .-Biography:Masolino was born in Panicale...
(c. 1383 – c. 1447), painter of the Florentine school. He collaborated with Masaccio, in a cycle of frescoes in the Brancacci Chapel in Santa Maria del Carmine, in Florence - Melozzo da ForlìMelozzo da ForlìMelozzo da Forlì was an Italian Renaissance painter and architect. His fresco paintings are notable for the use of foreshortening. He was the most important member of the Forlì painting school.- Biography :...
(c. 1438–1494), painter of the Umbrian school. One of the great fresco artists of the 15th century - MichelangeloMichelangeloMichelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni , commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet, and engineer who exerted an unparalleled influence on the development of Western art...
(1475–1564), sculptor, painter, architect and poet who exerted an unparalleled influence on the development of Western art. Author of The Creation of AdamThe Creation of AdamThe Creation of Adam is a section of Michelangelo's fresco Sistine Chapel ceiling painted circa 1511. It illustrates the Biblical story from the Book of Genesis in which God the Father breathes life into Adam, the first man...
(c. 1511) - Moretto da Brescia (c. 1498–1554), painter. Together with Romanino and Girolamo SavoldoGirolamo SavoldoGirolamo Savoldo, also called Girolamo da Brescia was an Italian High Renaissance painter.-Biography:...
, he was one of the most distinguished painters of Brescia of the 16th century - Giovanni Battista MoroniGiovanni Battista MoroniGiovanni Battista Moroni was a North Italian painter of the Late Renaissance period. He is also called Giambattista Moroni...
(c. 1520/1524–1578), painter. He became notable for his sober and dignified portraits - Palma GiovanePalma GiovaneIacopo Nigreti , best known as Jacopo Palma il Giovane or simply Palma Giovane was an Italian Mannerist painter from Venice. After Tintoretto's death , Palma became Venice's dominant artist perpetuating his style...
(1548/1550–1628), painter. The leading Venetian painter and draftsman of the late 16th and early 17th centuries - Palma VecchioPalma VecchioPalma Vecchio , born Jacopo Palma or known as Jacopo Negretti, was an Italian painter of the Venetian school born at Serina Alta near Bergamo...
(c. 1480–1528), painter of the High Renaissance, noted for the craftsmanship of his religious and mythological works - ParmigianinoParmigianinoGirolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola , also known as Francesco Mazzola or more commonly as Parmigianino or sometimes "Parmigiano", was an Italian Mannerist painter and printmaker active in Florence, Rome, Bologna, and his native city of Parma...
(1503–1540), painter, one of the first artists to develop the elegant and sophisticated version of Mannerist style - Perino del Vaga (1501–1547), painter. A pupil and assistant of Raphael Sanzio in Rome, he carried out decorations in the Logge of the Vatican from Raphael's designs
- Francesco PesellinoFrancesco PesellinoFrancesco Pesellino , also known as Francesco di Stefano, Il Pesellino, Francesco Peselli, and Francesco di Stefano Pesellino was an Italian painter...
(1422–1457), painter of the Florentine school who excelled in the execution of small-scale paintings - Piero della FrancescaPiero della FrancescaPiero della Francesca was a painter of the Early Renaissance. As testified by Giorgio Vasari in his Lives of the Artists, to contemporaries he was also known as a mathematician and geometer. Nowadays Piero della Francesca is chiefly appreciated for his art. His painting was characterized by its...
(c. 1415–1492), painter and mathematician. His most famous cycle, The History of the True CrossThe History of the True CrossThe History of the True Cross or The Legend of the True Cross is a sequence of frescoes painted by Piero della Francesca in the Basilica of San Francesco in Arezzo...
(1452–1466), depicts scenes from the Golden LegendGolden LegendThe Golden Legend is a collection of hagiographies by Jacobus de Voragine that became a late medieval bestseller. More than a thousand manuscripts of the text have survived, compared to twenty or so of its nearest rivals... - Piero di CosimoPiero di CosimoPiero di Cosimo , also known as Piero di Lorenzo, was an Italian Renaissance painter.-Biography:The son of a goldsmith, Piero was born in Florence and apprenticed under the artist Cosimo Rosseli, from whom he derived his popular name and whom he assisted in the painting of the Sistine Chapel in...
(1462–1521), painter noted for his eccentric character and his fanciful mythological paintings - Pietro PeruginoPietro PeruginoPietro Perugino , born Pietro Vannucci, was an Italian Renaissance painter of the Umbrian school, who developed some of the qualities that found classic expression in the High Renaissance...
(1446–1524), painter. One of his most famous masterpieces is The Delivery of the Keys (1481–1482), in the Sistine ChapelSistine ChapelSistine Chapel is the best-known chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope in Vatican City. It is famous for its architecture and its decoration that was frescoed throughout by Renaissance artists including Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Pinturicchio... - PinturicchioPinturicchioBernardino di Betto, called Pintoricchio or Pinturicchio was an Italian painter of the Renaissance. He acquired his nickname, Pintoricchio , because of his small stature, and he used it to sign some of his works....
(1454–1513), painter, known for his highly decorative frescoes. His most elaborate project was the decoration of the Cathedral of Siena - PisanelloPisanelloPisanello , known professionally as Antonio di Puccio Pisano or Antonio di Puccio da Cereto, also erroneously called Vittore Pisano by Giorgio Vasari, was one of the most distinguished painters of the early Italian Renaissance and Quattrocento...
(c. 1395–1455), medalist and painter. He is regarded as the foremost exponent of the International GothicInternational GothicInternational Gothic is a phase of Gothic art which developed in Burgundy, Bohemia, France and northern Italy in the late 14th century and early 15th century...
style in Italian painting - Polidoro da Caravaggio (c. 1499–1543), painter. One of the most original and innovative artists of the mid-16th century
- Antonio del Pollaiolo (1429/1433–1498), painter, sculptor, goldsmith, and engraver, was a master of anatomical rendering and excelled in action subjects, notably mythologiesMythologiesMythologies is a book by Roland Barthes, published in 1957. It is a collection of essays taken from Les Lettres nouvelles, examining the tendency of contemporary social value systems to create modern myths...
- PontormoPontormoJacopo Carucci , usually known as Jacopo da Pontormo, Jacopo Pontormo or simply Pontormo, was an Italian Mannerist painter and portraitist from the Florentine school. His work represents a profound stylistic shift from the calm perspectival regularity that characterized the art of the Florentine...
(1494–1557), painter. He is thought to have painted Vertumnus and PomonaVertumnus and Pomona (Pontormo)The fresco decoration of Vertumnus and Pomona in the Medici country villa at Poggio a Caiano is a masterpiece by Jacopo Pontormo. The villa is set among orchards and gardens, and served in summer as an outdoor respite to the heat in Florence.The fresco surrounds a lunette, high in a barrel-vaulted...
(1520–1521), which shows qualities characteristic of mannerism - Il PordenoneIl PordenoneIl Pordenone, byname of Giovanni Antonio de' Sacchis , was an Italian painter of the Venetian school, active during the Renaissance. Vasari, his main biographer, identifies him as Giovanni Antonio Licinio.-Biography:...
(c. 1484–1539), painter chiefly known for his frescoes of religious subjects - Francesco PrimaticcioFrancesco PrimaticcioFrancesco Primaticcio was an Italian Mannerist painter, architect and sculptor who spent most of his career in France.-Biography:...
(1504–1570), painter, architect, sculptor, and leader of the first school of FontainebleauSchool of FontainebleauThe Ecole de Fontainebleau refers to two periods of artistic production in France during the late Renaissance centered around the royal Château de Fontainebleau, that were crucial in forming the French version of Northern Mannerism.... - Francesco RaiboliniFrancesco RaiboliniFrancesco Raibolini , called Francia, was an Italian painter, goldsmith, and medallist from Bologna, who was also director of the city mint....
(c. 1450–1517), painter, goldsmith and medallist. His major surviving paintings are altarpieces, mostly images of the Virgin and saints - RaphaelRaphaelRaffaello Sanzio da Urbino , better known simply as Raphael, was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form and ease of composition and for its visual achievement of the Neoplatonic ideal of human grandeur...
(1483–1520), painter and architect. The artist who most completely expresses the ideals of the High RenaissanceHigh RenaissanceThe expression High Renaissance, in art history, is a periodizing convention used to denote the apogee of the visual arts in the Italian Renaissance...
. He is best known for his MadonnasMadonna (art)Images of the Madonna and the Madonna and Child or Virgin and Child are pictorial or sculptured representations of Mary, Mother of Jesus, either alone, or more frequently, with the infant Jesus. These images are central icons of Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox Christianity where Mary remains... - Giulio RomanoGiulio RomanoGiulio Romano was an Italian painter and architect. A pupil of Raphael, his stylistic deviations from high Renaissance classicism help define the 16th-century style known as Mannerism...
(c. 1499–1546), painter and architect. Well-known oils include The Stoning of St. Stephen (Church of Santo Stefano, GenoaGenoaGenoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
) and Adoration of the Magi (LouvreLouvreThe Musée du Louvre – in English, the Louvre Museum or simply the Louvre – is one of the world's largest museums, the most visited art museum in the world and a historic monument. A central landmark of Paris, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement...
) - Cosimo RosselliCosimo RosselliCosimo Rosselli was an Italian painter of the Quattrocento, active mainly in his birthplace of Florence.-Biography:Born in Florence, at the age of fourteen he became a pupil of Neri di Bicci, and in 1460 he worked as assistant to his cousin Bernardo di Stefano Rosselli...
(1439–1507), painter. Of his many works in Florence the most famous is The Miracle-working Chalice in Sant' Ambrogio, a work that includes many contemporary portraits - Andrea SchiavoneAndrea SchiavoneAndrea Meldolla , also known as Andrea Schiavone or Andrea Lo Schiavone was an Italian Renaissance painter and etcher, born in present-day Croatia, active mainly in the city of Venice.-Biography:...
(c. 1510/15–1563), painter and etcher. His most characteristic works were fairly small religious or mythological pictures for private patrons - Sebastiano del PiomboSebastiano del PiomboSebastiano del Piombo , byname of Sebastiano Luciani, was an Italian Renaissance-Mannerist painter of the early 16th century famous for his combination of the colors of the Venetian school and the monumental forms of the Roman school.- Biography :Sebastiano del Piombo belongs to the painting school...
(c. 1485–1547), painter of the Venetian School. Some of his best works are his portraits, including his portrayal of Pope Clement VIIPope Clement VIIClement VII , born Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici, was a cardinal from 1513 to 1523 and was Pope from 1523 to 1534.-Early life:...
(1526) - Luca SignorelliLuca SignorelliLuca Signorelli was an Italian Renaissance painter who was noted in particular for his ability as a draughtsman and his use of foreshortening...
(c. 1445–1523), painter, best known for his nudes and for his novel compositional devices. His masterpiece is the fresco cycle in Orvieto Cathedral - Il SodomaIl SodomaIl Sodoma was the name given to the Italian Renaissance painter Giovanni Antonio Bazzi. Il Sodoma painted in a manner that superimposed the High Renaissance style of early 16th-century Rome onto the traditions of the provincial Sienese school; he spent the bulk of his professional life in Siena,...
(1477–1549), painter. He was one of the best pupils of Leonardo da Vinci, a master of the human figure - Francesco SquarcioneFrancesco SquarcioneFrancesco Squarcione was an Italian artist from Padua. His pupils included Andrea Mantegna , Cosimo Tura and Carlo Crivelli...
(c. 1395 – after 1468), painter who founded the Paduan school and is known for being the teacher of Andrea Mantegna and other noteworthy painters - Taddeo di BartoloTaddeo di BartoloTaddeo di Bartolo , also known as Taddeo Bartoli, was an Italian painter of the Sienese School during the early Renaissance. He is among the artists profiled in Vasari's Le Vite delle più eccellenti pittori, scultori, ed architettori...
(c. 1362–1422), painter. He was the leading painter in SienaSienaSiena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
in the first two decades of the 15th century and also worked in and for other cities - Antonio TempestaAntonio TempestaAntonio Tempesta was an Italian painter and engraver, a point of connection between Baroque Rome and the culture of Antwerp. He was born and trained in Florence and painted in a variety of styles, influenced to some degree by "Contra-Maniera" or Counter-Mannerism...
(1555–1630), painter and engraver from Florence who specialised in pastoral scenes - Pellegrino TibaldiPellegrino TibaldiPellegrino Tibaldi , also known as Pellegrino di Tibaldo de Pellegrini, was an Italian mannerist architect, sculptor, and mural painter.-Biography:...
(1527–1596), painter, sculptor, and architect who spread the style of Italian Mannerist painting in Spain during the late 16th century - TintorettoTintorettoTintoretto , real name Jacopo Comin, was a Venetian painter and a notable exponent of the Renaissance school. For his phenomenal energy in painting he was termed Il Furioso...
(1518–1594), painter of the Venetian school. One of the most important artists of the late Renaissance. His works include St. George and the Dragon (1555) - TitianTitianTiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio (c. 1488/1490 – 27 August 1576 better known as Titian was an Italian painter, the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, near...
(c. 1488/1490–1576), painter of the Venetian schoolVenetian school (art)-Context:In the 15th century Venetian painting developed through influences from the Paduan School and Antonello da Messina, who introduced the oil painting technique of Early Netherlandish painting. It is typified by a warm colour scale and a picturesque use of colour...
, noted for his religious and mythological works, such as Bacchus and AriadneBacchus and AriadneBacchus and Ariadne is an oil painting by Titian. It is one of a cycle of paintings on mythological subjects produced for Alfonso d'Este, the Duke of Ferrara, for the Camerino d'Alabastro – a private room in his palazzo in Ferrara decorated with paintings based on classical texts...
(1520–1523), and his portraits - Cosimo TuraCosimo TuraCosimo Tura , also known as Il Cosmè or Cosmè Tura, was an Italian early-Renaissance painter and considered one of the founders of the School of Ferrara....
(c. 1430–1495), painter who was the founder and the first significant figure of the 15th-century school of Ferrara - Paolo UccelloPaolo UccelloPaolo Uccello , born Paolo di Dono, was an Italian painter and a mathematician who was notable for his pioneering work on visual perspective in art. Giorgio Vasari in his book Lives of the Artists wrote that Uccello was obsessed by his interest in perspective and would stay up all night in his...
(1397–1475), painter. His three panels depicting The Battle of San RomanoThe Battle of San RomanoThe Battle of San Romano is a set of three paintings by the Florentine painter Paolo Uccello depicting events that took place at the Battle of San Romano between Florentine and Sienese forces in 1432. They are significant as revealing the development of linear perspective in early Italian...
(1438), combine the decorative late Gothic style with the new heroic style of the early Renaissance - Bartolomeo VenetoBartolomeo VenetoBartolomeo Veneto was an Italian painter who worked in Venice, the Veneto , and Lombardy. During his time in Venice, he studied under Gentile Bellini. The little information available about Bartolomeo's life has been derived from his signatures, dates, and inscriptions. His best known works are...
(fl. 1502–1546), painter who worked in Northern Italy in an area bounded by Venice and Milan - Domenico VenezianoDomenico VenezianoDomenico Veneziano was an Italian painter of the early Renaissance, active mostly in Perugia and Tuscany.Little is known of his birth, though he is thought to have been born in Venice, hence his last name. He then moved to Florence in 1422-23 as a boy, to become a pupil of Gentile da Fabriano. He...
(c. 1410–1461), painter. In FlorenceFlorenceFlorence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
he created his most celebrated work, the St. Lucy Altarpiece (c. 1445–1447) - Paolo VeronesePaolo VeronesePaolo Veronese was an Italian painter of the Renaissance in Venice, famous for paintings such as The Wedding at Cana and The Feast in the House of Levi...
(1528–1588), painter of the Venetian school, famous for paintings such as The Wedding at CanaThe Wedding at CanaThis refers to the work of art of the 16th century.The Wedding at Cana is a massive painting by the late-Renaissance or Mannerist Italian painter, Paolo Veronese. It is on display in the Musée du Louvre in Paris.-History:The painting depicts the Wedding Feast at Cana, a miracle story from the...
(1563) and The Feast in the House of LeviThe Feast in the House of LeviThe Feast in the House of Levi is a 1573 painting by Italian painter Paolo Veronese and one of the largest canvases of the 16th century measuring 555 x 1280 cm . It is now in the Gallerie dell'Accademia, in Venice. It was painted by Veronese for the Dominican order of SS...
(1573) - Alvise VivariniAlvise VivariniAlvise or Luigi Vivarini, , was an Italian painter, the leading Venetian artist before Giovanni Bellini. Like Bellini, he was part of a dynasty of painters. His father was Antonio Vivarini and his uncle, with whom he may have trained, was Bartolomeo Vivarini...
(1442/1453–1503/1505), painter in the late Gothic style whose father, AntonioAntonio VivariniAntonio Vivarini was an Italian painter of the early Renaissance-late Gothic period, who worked mostly in the Republic of Venice...
, was the founder of the influential Vivarini family of Venetian artists - Bartolomeo Vivarini (c. 1432 – c. 1499), painter and member of the influential Vivarini family of Venetian artists
- Federico ZuccariFederico ZuccariFederico Zuccari, also known as Federigo Zuccaro , was an Italian Mannerist painter and architect, active both in Italy and abroad.-Biography:Zuccari was born at Sant'Angelo in Vado, near Urbino ....
(c. 1540/1541–1609), painter and architect. He was the author of L'idea de' Pittori, Scultori, ed Architetti (1607) - Taddeo ZuccariTaddeo ZuccariTaddeo Zuccari was an Italian painter, one of the most popular members of the Roman mannerist school.-Biography:...
(1529–1566), painter. One of the most popular members of the Roman mannerist school
Baroque and Rococo
- Francesco AlbaniFrancesco AlbaniFrancesco Albani or Albano was an Italian Baroque painter.-Early years in Bologna:Born 1578 in Bologna, his father was a silk merchant who intended to instruct his son in the same trade; but by age twelve, Albani became an apprentice under the competent mannerist painter Denis Calvaert, where he...
(1578–1660), painter. His best-known paintings are of mythological and poetic subjects - Cristofano AlloriCristofano AlloriCristofano Allori was an Italian portrait painter of the late Florentine Mannerist school. Allori was born at Florence and received his first lessons in painting from his father, Alessandro Allori, but becoming dissatisfied with the hard anatomical drawing and cold coloring of the latter, he...
(1577–1621), painter. He became one of the foremost Florentine artists of the early Baroque period, also winning renown as a courtier, poet, musician and lover - Jacopo AmigoniJacopo AmigoniJacopo Amigoni , also named Giacomo Amiconi, was an Italian painter of the late-Baroque or Rococo period, who began his career in Venice, but traveled and was prolific throughout Europe, where his sumptuous portraits were much in demand....
(1682–1752), painter and etcher. His oeuvre includes decorative frescoes for churches and palaces, history and mythological paintings and a few etchings - Marcello BacciarelliMarcello BacciarelliMarcello Bacciarelli was an Italian painter of the late-baroque and Neoclassic periods.He studied in Rome under Marco Benefial. In 1750 he was called to Dresden, Saxony, where he was employed by Elected King Augustus III of Poland; after whose death he went to Vienna, and thence to Warsaw...
(1731–1818), painter working at the royal court in WarsawWarsawWarsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, who captured seminal moments in Polish history on canvas - Sisto BadalocchioSisto BadalocchioSisto Badalocchio Rosa was an Italian painter and engraver of the Bolognese School.Born in Parma, he worked first under Agostino Carracci in Bologna, then Annibale Carracci, in Rome. He worked with Annibale till 1609, then moving back to Parma...
(1585 – c. 1647), painter and engraver. His most important work are the frescoes in the cupola and pendentives of St. John the BaptistJohn the BaptistJohn the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
(Reggio Emilia) - Pompeo BatoniPompeo BatoniPompeo Girolamo Batoni was an Italian painter whose style incorporated elements of the French Rococo, Bolognese classicism, and nascent Neoclassicism.-Biography:He was born in Lucca, the son of a goldsmith, Paolino Batoni...
(1708–1787), painter. In his day he was the most celebrated painter in Rome and one of the most famous in Europe - Bernardo BellottoBernardo BellottoBernardo Bellotto was a Venitian urban landscape painter or vedutista, and printmaker in etching famous for his vedutes of European cities . He was the pupil and nephew of Canaletto and sometimes used the latter's illustrious name, signing himself as Bernardo Canaletto...
(1720–1780), painter of topographical views, known as vedute ("view paintings") - Guido CagnacciGuido CagnacciGuido Cagnacci was an Italian painter of the late-Baroque period, belonging to the Forlì painting school and to the Bolognese School....
(1601–1663), painter. Particularly noteworthy are his altarpieces of the Virgin and Child with Three Carmelite Saints (c. 1631) and Christ with Saints Joseph and Eligius (1635) - CanalettoCanalettoGiovanni Antonio Canal better known as Canaletto , was a Venetian painter famous for his landscapes, or vedute, of Venice. He was also an important printmaker in etching.- Early career :...
(1697–1768), painter and etcher, noted particularly for his highly detailed paintings of cities, esp VeniceVeniceVenice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, which are marked by strong contrasts of light and shade - Battistello CaraccioloBattistello CaraccioloGiovanni Battista Caracciolo was an Italian artist and important Neapolitan follower of Caravaggio....
(1578–1635), painter. He was one of the greatest Caravaggesque painters and the founder of Neapolitan Caravaggism - CaravaggioCaravaggioMichelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was an Italian artist active in Rome, Naples, Malta, and Sicily between 1593 and 1610. His paintings, which combine a realistic observation of the human state, both physical and emotional, with a dramatic use of lighting, had a formative influence on the Baroque...
(1571–1610), painter of the baroqueBaroqueThe Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
whose influential works, such as The Entombment of ChristThe Entombment of Christ (Caravaggio)The Entombment of Christ is a painting by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. It was painted for Santa Maria in Vallicella, a church built for the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri, and adjacent to the buildings of the order...
(1602–1603), are marked by intense realism and revolutionary use of light - Annibale CarracciAnnibale CarracciAnnibale Carracci was an Italian Baroque painter.-Early career:Annibale Carracci was born in Bologna, and in all likelihood first apprenticed within his family...
(1560–1609), painter. Well known among his numerous works are The BeaneaterThe BeaneaterThe Beaneater is a painting by the Italian Baroque painter Annibale Carracci. Dating from 1580-1590 , it is housed in the Galleria Colonna of Rome....
(1580–1590), The Choice of HerculesThe Choice of HerculesThe Choice of Hercules is a painting by the Italian Baroque painter Annibale Carracci. Dating from 1596, it is housed in the Capodimonte Gallery of Naples. The subject is the Choice of Hercules....
(1596) and Domine quo vadis?Domine quo vadis? (Annibale Carracci)Domine, quo vadis? is a painting by the Italian Baroque painter Annibale Carracci. Dating from c. 1602, it is housed in the National Gallery, London....
(c. 1603) - Ludovico CarracciLudovico CarracciLudovico Carracci was an Italian, early-Baroque painter, etcher, and printmaker born in Bologna....
(1555–1619), painter, draughtsman and etcher born in BolognaBolognaBologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,... - Rosalba CarrieraRosalba CarrieraRosalba Carriera was a Venetian Rococo painter. In her younger years, she specialized in portrait miniatures...
(1675–1757), portrait painter and miniaturist, an originator of the Rococo style in France and Italy. She is best known for her work in pastels - Giuseppe CrespiGiuseppe CrespiGiuseppe Maria Crespi , nicknamed Lo Spagnuolo , was an Italian late Baroque painter of the Bolognese School. His eclectic output includes religious paintings and portraits, but he is now most famous for his genre paintings.-Biography:Crespi was born in Bologna to Girolamo Crespi and Isabella Cospi...
(1665–1747), painter of the Bolognese school. His best-known works are the imposing paintings of the Seven Sacraments (1712) - Carlo DolciCarlo DolciCarlo Dolci was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active mainly in Florence, known for highly finished religious pictures, often repeated in many versions.-Biography:...
(1616–1686), painter. The major Florentine painter of the 17th century. Among his best-known paintings are the heads and half-figures of Jesus and the Mater Dolorosa - Domenichino (1581–1641), painter of the baroque eclectic school who is noted for his religious and mythological works, including several frescoes of Saint CeciliaSaint CeciliaSaint Cecilia is the patroness of musicians and Church music because as she was dying she sang to God. It is also written that as the musicians played at her wedding she "sang in her heart to the Lord". St. Cecilia was an only child. Her feast day is celebrated in the Roman Catholic, Anglican,...
- Domenico FettiDomenico FettiDomenico Fetti was an Italian Baroque painter active mainly in Rome, Mantua and Venice.-Biography:...
(c. 1589–1623), painter whose best-known works are small representations of biblical parablesParables of JesusThe parables of Jesus can be found in all the Canonical gospels as well as in some of the non-canonical gospels but are located mainly within the three synoptic gospels. They represent a key part of the teachings of Jesus, forming approximately one third of his recorded teachings... - Giovanni Battista GaulliGiovanni Battista GaulliGiovanni Battista Gaulli , also known as Baciccio, Il Baciccio or Baciccia , was a painter of the Italian High Baroque verging onto that of the Rococo...
(1639–1709), painter. He was a celebrated artist of the Roman High Baroque. Worship of the Holy Name of Jesus (1674–1679) is his most noted work - Artemisia GentileschiArtemisia GentileschiArtemisia Gentileschi was an Italian Early Baroque painter, today considered one of the most accomplished painters in the generation influenced by Caravaggio...
(1593–1653), painter. Among her works may be cited Susanna and the Elders (1610) and Judith Slaying Holofernes (1614–1620) - Orazio GentileschiOrazio GentileschiOrazio Lomi Gentileschi was an Italian Baroque painter, one of more important painters influenced by Caravaggio...
(1563–1639), painter. The Annunciation (1623), painted in GenoaGenoaGenoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
and now in the Galleria Sabauda of TurinTurinTurin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, is considered by several authorities his masterpiece - Luca GiordanoLuca GiordanoLuca Giordano was an Italian late Baroque painter and printmaker in etching. Fluent and decorative, he worked successfully in Naples and Rome, Florence and Venice, before spending a decade in Spain....
(1634–1705), painter, the most important Italian decorative artistArtistAn artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
of the second half of the 17th century - Francesco GuardiFrancesco GuardiFrancesco Lazzaro Guardi was a Venetian painter of veduta, a member of the Venetian School. He is considered to be among the last practitioners, along with his brothers, of the classic Venetian school of painting....
(1712–1793), painter, a follower of Canaletto. His many charming landscapes are in the galleries of LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, VeniceVeniceVenice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
and BostonBostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had... - Guercino (1591–1666), painter. Extremely skillful, prolific, and quick to finish his work, he was known for his frescoes, altarpieces, oils, and drawings
- Giovanni LanfrancoGiovanni LanfrancoGiovanni Lanfranco was an Italian painter of the Baroque period.-Biography:Giovanni Gaspare Lanfranco was born in Parma, the third son of Stefano and Cornelia Lanfranchi, and was placed as a page in the household of Count Orazio Scotti...
(1582–1647), painter, one of the foremost artists of the High Baroque. His masterpiece is the Assumption of the Virgin in the dome of Sant'Andrea della ValleSant'Andrea della ValleSant'Andrea della Valle is a basilica church in Rome, Italy, in the rione of Sant'Eustachio. The basilica is the general seat for the religious order of the Theatines.-Overview:...
(1625–1627) - Pietro LonghiPietro LonghiPietro Longhi was a Venetian painter of contemporary scenes of life.-Biography:Pietro Longhi was born in Venice in the parish of Saint Maria, first child of the silversmith Alessandro Falca and his wife, Antonia. He adopted the Longhi last name when he began to paint...
(1702–1785), painter. He is best known for his small pictures depicting the life of upper-middle-class Venetians of his day - Alessandro MagnascoAlessandro MagnascoAlessandro Magnasco , also known as il Lissandrino, was an Italian late-Baroque painter active mostly in Milan and Genoa...
(1667–1749), painter. He is best known for his scenes of disembodied, flamelike figures in stormy landscapes or cavernousinteriors - Bartolomeo ManfrediBartolomeo ManfrediBartolomeo Manfredi was an Italian painter, a leading member of the Caravaggisti of the early 17th century.Manfredi was born in Ostiano, near Cremona...
(1582–1622), painter, active mainly in RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, where he was one of the most important of Caravaggio's followers - Carlo MarattaCarlo MarattaCarlo Maratta or Maratti was an Italian painter, active mostly in Rome, and known principally for his classicizing paintings executed in a Late Baroque Classical manner. Although he is part of the classical tradition stemming from Raphael, he was not exempt from the influence of Baroque painting...
(1625–1713), painter and engraver of the Roman school; one of the last great masters of Baroque classicism - Pietro NovelliPietro NovelliPietro Novelli was an Italian painter of the Baroque period,active mainly in Palermo. Also known as il Monrealese or Pietro "Malta" Novelli to distinguish him from his father, Pietro Antonio Novelli....
(1603–1647), painter. Probably the most distinguished Sicilian painter of the 17th century - Giovanni Paolo Panini (1691–1765), the foremost painter of Roman topography in the 18th century
- Giovanni Battista PiazzettaGiovanni Battista PiazzettaGiovanni Battista Piazzetta was an Italian rococo painter of religious subjects and genre scenes.-Biography:...
(1682–1754), painter, illustrator and designer. His most popular work is the celebrated Fortune Teller (1740) - Andrea PozzoAndrea PozzoAndrea Pozzo was an Italian Jesuit Brother, Baroque painter and architect, decorator, stage designer, and art theoretician. He was best known for his grandiose frescoes using illusionistic technique called quadratura, in which architecture and fancy are intermixed...
(1642–1709), painter, a leading exponent of the baroque style. His masterpiece is the nave ceiling of the Church of Sant'IgnazioSant'IgnazioThe Church of Saint Ignatius of Loyola at Campus Martius is Roman Catholic titular church dedicated to Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order, located in Rome, Italy...
in RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half... - Mattia PretiMattia PretiMattia Preti was an Italian Baroque artist who worked in Italy and Malta.- Biography :Born in the small town of Taverna in Calabria, Preti was sometimes called Il Cavalier Calabrese...
(1613–1699), painter, called Il Calabrese for his birthplace. His most substantial undertaking was the decoration of St. John's, VallettaVallettaValletta is the capital of Malta, colloquially known as Il-Belt in Maltese. It is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta, and the historical city has a population of 6,098. The name "Valletta" is traditionally reserved for the historic walled citadel that serves as Malta's... - Guido ReniGuido ReniGuido Reni was an Italian painter of high-Baroque style.-Biography:Born in Bologna into a family of musicians, Guido Reni was the son of Daniele Reni and Ginevra de’ Pozzi. As a child of nine, he was apprenticed under the Bolognese studio of Denis Calvaert. Soon after, he was joined in that...
(1575–1642), painter noted for the classical idealism of his renderings of mythological and religious subjects - Sebastiano RicciSebastiano RicciSebastiano Ricci was an Italian painter of the late Baroque school of Venice. About the same age as Piazzetta, and an elder contemporary of Tiepolo, he represents a late version of the vigorous and luminous Cortonesque style of grand manner fresco painting.-Early years:He was born in Belluno, son...
(1659–1734), painter. He is remembered for his decorative paintings, which mark the transition between the late Baroque and the development of the Rococo style - Salvator RosaSalvator RosaSalvator Rosa was an Italian Baroque painter, poet and printmaker, active in Naples, Rome and Florence. As a painter, he is best known as an "unorthodox and extravagant" and a "perpetual rebel" proto-Romantic.-Early life:...
(1615–1673), painter, etcher and poet. He is best known for his spirited battle pieces painted in the style of FalconeAniello FalconeAniello Falcone was an Italian Baroque painter, active in Naples and noted for his painted depictions of battle scenes.-Biography:...
, for his marines, and especially for his landscapes - Francesco SolimenaFrancesco SolimenaFrancesco Solimena was a prolific Italian painter of the Baroque era, one of an established family of painters and draughtsmen.-Biography:Francesco Solimena was born in Canale di Serino, near Avellino....
(1657–1747), painter. The leading artist of the Neapolitan Baroque during the first half of the 18th century - Massimo StanzioneMassimo StanzioneMassimo Stanzione was an Italian Baroque painter, mainly active in Naples.Massimo Stanzione was an Italian Baroque painter. Born in Naples in 1586, Massimo was greatly influenced by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, but what earned him the nickname of The Neapolitan Guido Reni was his...
(c. 1586 – c. 1656), painter. His style has a distinctive refinement and grace that has earned him the nickname "the Neapolitan Guido ReniGuido ReniGuido Reni was an Italian painter of high-Baroque style.-Biography:Born in Bologna into a family of musicians, Guido Reni was the son of Daniele Reni and Ginevra de’ Pozzi. As a child of nine, he was apprenticed under the Bolognese studio of Denis Calvaert. Soon after, he was joined in that...
." - Bernardo StrozziBernardo StrozziBernardo Strozzi was a prominent and prolific Italian Baroque painter born and active mainly in Genoa, and also active in Venice.-Biography:Strozzi was born in Genoa. He was probably not related to the other Strozzi family....
(c. 1581–1644), painter. He is considered one of the greatest of the generation of early 17th-century Italian painters - Giovanni Battista TiepoloGiovanni Battista TiepoloGiovanni Battista Tiepolo , also known as Gianbattista or Giambattista Tiepolo, was an Italian painter and printmaker from the Republic of Venice...
(1696–1770), painter. His frescoes in the Palazzo LabiaPalazzo LabiaPalazzo Labia is a baroque palace in Venice, Italy. Built in the 17th-18th century, it is one of the last great palazzi of Venice. Little known outside of Italy, it is most notable for the remarkable frescoed ballroom painted between by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, with decorative works in trompe...
and the doge's palace won him international fame - Giovanni Domenico TiepoloGiovanni Domenico TiepoloGiovanni Domenico Tiepolo was a Venetian painter and printmaker in etching. He was the son of artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo and elder brother of Lorenzo Baldissera Tiepolo.-Life history:...
(1727–1804), painter and printmaker. His most notable early works are the chinoiserie decorations of the Villa Valmarana in VicenzaVicenzaVicenza , a city in north-eastern Italy, is the capital of the eponymous province in the Veneto region, at the northern base of the Monte Berico, straddling the Bacchiglione...
(1757)
The 1800s
- Giuseppe AbbatiGiuseppe AbbatiGiuseppe Abbati was an Italian artist who belonged to the group known as the Macchiaioli.Abbati was born in Naples and received early training in painting from his brother Vincenzo. He participated in Garibaldi's 1860 campaign, suffering the loss of his right eye at the Battle of Capua...
(1836–1868), painter of the macchiaioli group - Andrea AppianiAndrea AppianiAndrea Appiani was an Italian neoclassical painter.-Biography:He was born in Milan. He had been intended to follow his father's career in medicine but instead entered the private academy of the painter Carlo Maria Giudici . He received instruction in drawing, copying mainly from sculpture and prints...
(1754–1817), painter active in MilanMilanMilan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
and a court painter of Napoleon; the best fresco painter of his age - Giovanni BoldiniGiovanni BoldiniGiovanni Boldini was an Italian genre and portrait painter. According to , he was known as the "Master of Swish" because of his flowing style of painting.-Early life:...
(1842–1931), painter, one of the most renowned society portraitists of his day. He worked mainly in ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where he settled in 1872 - Constantino BrumidiConstantino BrumidiConstantino Brumidi was an Greek/Italian-American historical painter, best known and honored for his fresco work in the Capitol Building in Washington, DC.-Parentage and early life:...
(1805–1880), Italian-American painter, whose best-known works are his frescoes in the CapitolUnited States CapitolThe United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall...
building, Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution.... - Vincenzo CamucciniVincenzo CamucciniVincenzo Camuccini was an Italian painter of Neoclassic histories and religious paintings. He was considered the premier academic painter of his time in Rome.-Biography:...
(1771–1844), painter. His many drawings reveal a fluid technique and lively artistic imagination - Antonio CiseriAntonio CiseriAntonio Ciseri was an Italian painter of religious subjects....
(1821–1891), painter of religious subjects - Giuseppe De NittisGiuseppe De NittisGiuseppe De Nittis was an Italian painter whose work merges the styles of Salon art and Impressionism.De Nittis was born in Barletta, where he first studied under Giovanni Battista Calò...
(1846–1884), painter, mainly of landscapes and scenes of city life - Giacomo Di ChiricoGiacomo Di ChiricoGiacomo Di Chirico was an italian painter. Together with Domenico Morelli and Filippo Palizzi, he was one of the most elite Neapolitan artists of the 19th century...
(1844–1883), painter. One of the most elite Neapolitan artists of the 19th century - Giovanni FattoriGiovanni FattoriGiovanni Fattori was an Italian artist, one of the leaders of the group known as the Macchiaioli. He was initially a painter of historical themes and military subjects. In his middle years, inspired by the Barbizon school, he became one of the leading Italian plein-airists, painting landscapes,...
(1825–1908), painter; leading figure of the macchiaioliMacchiaioliThe Macchiaioli were a group of Italian painters active in Tuscany in the second half of the nineteenth century, who, breaking with the antiquated conventions taught by the Italian academies of art, did much of their painting outdoors in order to capture natural light, shade, and colour...
school - Francesco HayezFrancesco HayezFrancesco Hayez was an Italian painter, the leading artist of Romanticism in mid-19th-century Milan, renowned for his grand historical paintings, political allegories and exceptionally fine portraits.-Biography:...
(1791–1882), painter, the leading artist of RomanticismRomanticismRomanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
in mid-19th-century MilanMilanMilan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
. His masterpiece is The KissThe Kiss (Hayez painting)Il bacio is an 1859 painting by the Italian artist Francesco Hayez. It is possibly his best known work. This painting conveys the main features of Italian Romanticism and has come to represent the spirit of the Risorgimento.-Description:...
(1859) - Cesare MaccariCesare MaccariCesare Maccari was an Italian painter and sculptor, most famous for his 1888 painting Cicerone denuncia Catalina .-Biography:...
(1840–1919), painter and sculptor, most famous for his fresco at Palazzo MadamaPalazzo MadamaPalazzo Madama is a palace in Rome that is currently the home of the Senate of the Italian Republic.It was built atop the ruins of the ancient baths of Nero, next to Piazza Navona...
portraying Cicero revealing Catilina's plot (1888) - Giovanni SegantiniGiovanni SegantiniGiovanni Segantini was an Italian painter known for his large pastoral landscapes of the Alps. He was one of the most famous artists in Europe in the late 19th century, and his paintings were collected by major museums. In later life he combined a Divisionist painting style with Symbolist images...
(1858–1899), painter known for his Alpine landscapes and allegorical pictures, which blended Symbolist content with the technique of Neo-Impressionism
The 1900s
- Pietro AnnigoniPietro AnnigoniPietro Annigoni was an Italian portrait and fresco painter, who became world famous after painting Queen Elizabeth II in 1956.-Life:Born in Milan in 1910, Annigoni was a painter who was influenced by the Italian Renaissance....
(1910–1988), painter (and occasional sculptor), the only artist of his time to become internationally famous as a society and state portraitist - Giacomo BallaGiacomo BallaGiacomo Balla was an Italian painter.-Biography:Born in Turin, in the Piedmont region of Italy, the son of an industrial chemist, as a child Giacomo Balla studied music....
(1871–1958), painter, sculptor, stage designer, decorative artist and actor. He was one of the originators of FuturismFuturismFuturism was an artistic and social movement that originated in Italy in the early 20th century.Futurism or futurist may refer to:* Afrofuturism, an African-American and African diaspora subculture* Cubo-Futurism* Ego-Futurism... - Umberto BoccioniUmberto BoccioniUmberto Boccioni was an Italian painter and sculptor. Like other Futurists, his work centered on the portrayal of movement , speed, and technology. He was born in Reggio Calabria, Italy.-Biography:...
(1882–1916), painter, sculptor and theorist. His painting The City Rises (1910) is a dynamic composition of swirling human figures in a fragmented crowd scene - Alberto BurriAlberto BurriAlberto Burri , was an Italian abstract painter and sculptor. Città di Castello has memorialized him with a large permanent museum of his works....
(1915–1995), painter and sculptor. He was one of the first artists to exploit the evocative force of waste materials, looking forward to Trash art in America and Arte PoveraArte PoveraArte Povera is a modern art movement. The term was introduced in Italy during the period of upheaval at the end of the 1960s, when artists were taking a radical stance. Artists began attacking the values of established institutions of government, industry, and culture, and even questioning whether...
in Italy - Carlo CarràCarlo CarràCarlo Carrà was an Italian painter, a leading figure of the Futurist movement that flourished in Italy during the beginning of the 20th century. In addition to his many paintings, he wrote a number of books concerning art. He taught for many years in the city of Milan.-Biography:Carrà was born in...
(1881–1966), painter. He is best known for his still lifes in the style of Metaphysical painting - Francesco ClementeFrancesco ClementeFrancesco Clemente is an Italian and American contemporary artist. Influenced by thinkers as diverse as Gregory Bateson, William Blake, Allen Ginsberg, and J Krishnamurti, the art of Francesco Clemente is inclusive and nomadic, crossing many borders, intellectual and geographical.Dividing his time...
(born 1952), painter and draftsman whose dramatic figural imagery was a major component in the revitalization of Italian art beginning in the 1980s - Enzo CucchiEnzo CucchiEnzo Cucchi is an Italian painter. A native of Morro d'Alba, province of Ancona, he was a key member of the Italian Transavanguardia movement, along with fellow countrymen Francesco Clemente, Mimmo Paladino, Nicola De Maria, and Sandro Chia...
(born 1949), painter, draughtsman and sculptor. He was a key member of the Italian TransavantgardeTransavantgardeTransavantgarde is the Italian version of Neo-expressionism, an art movement that swept through Italy, and the rest of Western Europe, in the late 1970s and 1980s. The term transavantgarde was coined by the Italian art critic, Achille Bonito Oliva, and literally means beyond the avant-garde...
movement - Giorgio de ChiricoGiorgio de ChiricoGiorgio de Chirico was a pre-Surrealist and then Surrealist Italian painter born in Volos, Greece, to a Genovese mother and a Sicilian father. He founded the scuola metafisica art movement...
(1888–1978), painter. He founded the scuola metafisicaMetaphysical artMetaphysical art , style of painting that flourished mainly between 1911 and 1920 in the works of the Italian artists Giorgio de Chirico and Carlo Carrà. The movement began with Chirico, whose dreamlike works with sharp contrasts of light and shadow often had a vaguely threatening, mysterious quality...
art movement. Guillaume ApollinaireGuillaume ApollinaireWilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki, known as Guillaume Apollinaire was a French poet, playwright, short story writer, novelist, and art critic born in Italy to a Polish mother....
called him the most astonishing painter of his time." - Lucio FontanaLucio FontanaLucio Fontana was an Italian painter, sculptor and theorist of Argentine birth. He was mostly known as the founder of Spatialism and his ties to Arte Povera.-Early life:...
(1899–1968), painter, sculptor and theorist, founder of SpatialismSpatialismSpatialism is an art movement founded by Italian artist Lucio Fontana in Milan in 1947 in which he grandiosely intended to synthesize colour, sound, space, movement, and time into a new type of art. The main ideas of the movement were anticipated in his Manifesto blanco published in Buenos Aires...
, noted for gashed monochrome paintingMonochrome paintingMonochromatic painting has been an important component of avant-garde visual art throughout the 20th century and into the 21st century. Painters have created the exploration of one color, the examination of values changing across a surface, the expressivity of texture and nuance, expressing a wide...
s - Renato GuttusoRenato GuttusoRenato Guttuso was an Italian painter.His best-known paintings include Flight from Etna , Crucifixion and La Vucciria . Guttuso also designed for the theatre and did illustrations for books...
(1911–1987), painter. He was a forceful personality and Italy's leading exponent of Social realism in the 20th century - Piero ManzoniPiero ManzoniPiero Manzoni was an Italian artist best known for his ironic conceptual art. Influenced by the work of Yves Klein, his own work anticipated, and directly influenced, the work of a generation of younger Italian artists brought together by the critic Germano Celant in the first Arte Povera...
(1933–1963), artist. He is regarded as one of the forerunners of Arte PoveraArte PoveraArte Povera is a modern art movement. The term was introduced in Italy during the period of upheaval at the end of the 1960s, when artists were taking a radical stance. Artists began attacking the values of established institutions of government, industry, and culture, and even questioning whether...
and Conceptual artConceptual artConceptual art is art in which the concept or idea involved in the work take precedence over traditional aesthetic and material concerns. Many of the works, sometimes called installations, of the artist Sol LeWitt may be constructed by anyone simply by following a set of written instructions... - Amedeo ModiglianiAmedeo ModiglianiAmedeo Clemente Modigliani was an Italian painter and sculptor who worked mainly in France. Primarily a figurative artist, he became known for paintings and sculptures in a modern style characterized by mask-like faces and elongation of form...
(1884–1920), painter and sculptor whose portraits and nudes, characterized by asymmetrical compositions, are among the most important portraits of the 20th century - Giorgio MorandiGiorgio MorandiGiorgio Morandi was an Italian painter and printmaker who specialized in still life. His paintings are noted for their tonal subtlety in depicting apparently simple subjects, which were limited mainly to vases, bottles, bowls, flowers, and landscapes.-Biography:Giorgio Morandi was born in Bologna...
(1890–1964), painter and etcher. He is widely acknowledged as a major Italian painter of the 20th century - Giuseppe Pellizza da VolpedoGiuseppe Pellizza da VolpedoGiuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo was an Italian painter. He was born and died in Volpedo, in the Piedmont region of northern Italy....
(1868–1907), painter. His most famous work is The Fourth EstateThe Fourth Estate (painting)The Fourth Estate is a famous picture painted by Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo in 1901, originally entitled The path of workers.-Description:...
(1901); a symbol of the 20th century - Luigi RussoloLuigi RussoloLuigi Russolo was an Italian Futurist painter and composer, and the author of the manifesto The Art of Noises . He is often regarded as one of the first noise music experimental composers with his performances of "noise concerts" in 1913-14 and then again after World War I, notably in Paris in 1921...
(1885–1947), painter. One of the five signers of the basic 1910 "Manifesto of Futurist Painting" before switching his attention to music - Emilio ScanavinoEmilio ScanavinoEmilio Scanavino was an Italian painter and sculptor.-Early life:In 1938 the young Scanavino enrolled to the Art School Nicolò Barabino of Genoa where he met his teacher Mario Calonghi, who had a great influence on Scanavino’s first formation. In 1942 he had his first exhibition at the Salone...
(1922–1986), painter and sculptor. One of the most important protagonists of the Spatialist movement in Italy - Gino SeveriniGino SeveriniGino Severini , was an Italian painter and a leading member of the Futurist movement. For much of his life he divided his time between Paris and Rome. He was associated with neo-classicism and the "return to order" in the decade after the First World War. During his career he worked in a variety of...
(1883–1966), painter who synthesized the styles of Futurism and Cubism - Mario SironiMario SironiMario Sironi was an Italian modernist artist who was active as a painter, sculptor, illustrator, and designer. His typically somber paintings are characterized by massive, immobile forms.-Biography:...
(1885–1961), painter, sculptor, illustrator and designer. He was the leading artist of the Novecento ItalianoNovecento ItalianoNovecento Italiano was an Italian artistic movement founded in Milan in 1922 by Anselmo Bucci , Leonardo Dudreville , Achille Funi, Gian Emilio Malerba , Piero Marussig, Ubaldo Oppi and Mario Sironi...
group in the 1920s, developing a muscular, monumental figurative style
Printers
- Panfilo CastaldiPanfilo CastaldiPanfilo Castaldi was an Italian physician and "master of the art of printing," to whom local tradition attributes the invention of moveable type...
(c.CircaCirca , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
1398 – c. 1490), physician and "master of the art of printing", to whom local tradition attributes the invention of moveable type - Fortunato FeliceFortunato FeliceFortunato Bartolommeo Felice , 2nd Comte de Panzutti, also known as Fortuné-Barthélemy de Félice and Francesco Placido Bartolomeo De Felice, was an Italian nobleman, a famed author, scientist, and said to have been one of the most important publishers of the 18th century.-Biography:Forunato Felice...
(1723–1789), printer, publisher and scientist. Settled in Yverdon where he published a version of the Encyclopédie (1770–1780) - Francesco FranceschiFrancesco FranceschiFrancesco Franceschi was a printer in the Italian Renaissance. His roots were in Siena, though the bulk of his work was done in Venice....
(c. 1530 – c. 1599), printer. Known for the high quality of his engravings, which were done using metal plates rather than wooden - Gabriele Giolito de' FerrariGabriele Giolito de' FerrariGabriele Giolito de' Ferrari was a 16th century Italian printer active in Venice. He was one of the first major publishers of literature in the vernacular Italian language.-Early life and career:...
(c. 1508–1578), bookseller, printer and editor at VeniceVeniceVenice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
. He was one of the first major publishers of literature in the vernacular Italian languageItalian languageItalian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia... - Johannes Philippus de LignamineJohannes Philippus de LignamineJohannes Philippus de Lignamine was a Sicilian printer/publisher from Messina active at Monte Cassino near Rome and a courtier to Pope Sixtus IV...
(c. 1420 – ...), printer and publisher. He is best known for his publication of Herbarium Apuleii PlatoniciHerbarium Apuleii PlatoniciHerbarium Apuleii Platonici depicts 131 plants with their synonymy and instructions for their use in medicines and was first published in 1481 at Monte Cassino near Rome by Johannes Philippus de Lignamine, a Sicilian courtier and physician to Pope Sixtus IV...
(1481) - Aldus ManutiusAldus ManutiusAldus Pius Manutius , the Latinised name of Aldo Manuzio —sometimes called Aldus Manutius, the Elder to distinguish him from his grandson, Aldus Manutius, the Younger—was an Italian humanist who became a printer and publisher when he founded the Aldine Press at Venice.His publishing legacy includes...
(1449–1515), printer, noted for his fine editions of the classics. Inventor of the italic typeItalic typeIn typography, italic type is a cursive typeface based on a stylized form of calligraphic handwriting. Owing to the influence from calligraphy, such typefaces often slant slightly to the right. Different glyph shapes from roman type are also usually used—another influence from calligraphy...
(1501) and also the first to use the semicolonSemicolonThe semicolon is a punctuation mark with several uses. The Italian printer Aldus Manutius the Elder established the practice of using the semicolon to separate words of opposed meaning and to indicate interdependent statements. "The first printed semicolon was the work of ... Aldus Manutius"... - Aldus Manutius the Younger (1547–1597), printer, last member of the Italian family of Manutius to be active in the famous Aldine PressAldine PressAldine Press was the printing office started by Aldus Manutius in 1494 in Venice, from which were issued the celebrated Aldine editions of the classics . The Aldine Press is famous in the history of typography, among other things, for the introduction of italics...
- Giovanni Battista PasqualiGiovanni Battista PasqualiGiovanni Battista Pasquali was a leading printer in 18th-century Venice, supported by the British consul Joseph Smith , a patron and collector. Pasquali was a scholar himself, who published his own essays as well as finely printed, unpretentious editions for a scholarly readership...
(1702–1784), printer, a leading printer in 18th century VeniceVeniceVenice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region... - Pietro PernaPietro PernaPietro Perna was an Italian printer, the leading printer of Late Renaissance Basel, the Erasmian crossroads between Italian Renaissance humanism and the Protestant Reformation. His books promoted the Italian heretical thinkers at the origins of Socinianism and the theory of Tolerance...
(1519–1582), printer, the leading printer of late RenaissanceRenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
BaselBaselBasel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany... - Ottaviano PetrucciOttaviano PetrucciOttaviano Petrucci was an Italian printer. His Harmonice Musices Odhecaton, a collection of chansons printed in 1501, is commonly misidentified as the first book of sheet music printed from movable type. Actually that distinction belongs to the Roman printer Ulrich Han's Missale Romanum of 1476...
(1466–1539), printer. Inventor of movable metal type for printing mensural and polyphonic music - Lawrence TorrentinusLawrence TorrentinusLawrence Torrentinus, also known as Lorenzo Torrentino, Laurentius Torrentinus, Laurens van den Bleeck was a Dutch-Italian humanist and famous typographer and printer for Cosimo, Duke of Florence.-Biography:...
(1499–1563), typographer and printer for Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of TuscanyCosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of TuscanyCosimo I de' Medici was Duke of Florence from 1537 to 1574, reigning as the first Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1569.-Biography:...
Printmakers
- Domenico CampagnolaDomenico CampagnolaDomenico Campagnola was an Italian painter and printmaker in engraving and woodcut of the Venetian Renaissance, but whose most influential works were his drawings of landscapes.-Life and work:...
(c.CircaCirca , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
1500–1564), painter and printmaker and one of the first professional draftsmen - Giulio CampagnolaGiulio CampagnolaGiulio Campagnola was an Italian engraver and painter, whose few, rare, prints translated the rich Venetian Renaissance style of oil paintings of Giorgione and the early Titian into the medium of engraving; to further his exercises in gradations of tone, he also invented the stipple technique...
(c. 1482 – c. 1515), painter and engraver who anticipated by over two centuries the development of stipple engraving - Agostino CarracciAgostino CarracciAgostino Carracci was an Italian painter and printmaker. He was the brother of the more famous Annibale and cousin of Lodovico Carracci....
(1557–1602), painter and printmaker. He was the brother of the more famous AnnibaleAnnibale CarracciAnnibale Carracci was an Italian Baroque painter.-Early career:Annibale Carracci was born in Bologna, and in all likelihood first apprenticed within his family...
and cousin of Lodovico Carracci - Stefano della BellaStefano della BellaStefano della Bella was an Italian draughtsman and printmaker known for etchings of a great variety of subjects, including military and court scenes, landscapes, and lively genre scenes...
(1610–1664), printmaker noted for his engravings of military events, in the manner of Jacques CallotJacques CallotJacques Callot was a baroque printmaker and draftsman from the Duchy of Lorraine . He is an important figure in the development of the old master print... - Marcantonio RaimondiMarcantonio RaimondiMarcantonio Raimondi, also simply Marcantonio, was an Italian engraver, known for being the first important printmaker whose body of work consists mainly of prints copying paintings. He is therefore a key figure in the rise of the reproductive print...
(c. 1480 – c. 1534), engraver, known for being the first important printmaker. He is therefore a key figure in the rise of the reproductive printOld master printAn old master print is a work of art produced by a printing process within the Western tradition . A date of about 1830 is usually taken as marking the end of the period whose prints are covered by this term. The main techniques concerned are woodcut, engraving and etching, although there are... - Francesco RosselliFrancesco RosselliFrancesco Rosselli was an Italian miniature painter, and important engraver of maps and old master prints. He is described as a cartographer, although his contribution did not include any primary research and was probably limited to engraving, decorating and selling manuscript maps created by...
(1445 – before 1513), miniature painter, and an important engraver of maps and old master printOld master printAn old master print is a work of art produced by a printing process within the Western tradition . A date of about 1830 is usually taken as marking the end of the period whose prints are covered by this term. The main techniques concerned are woodcut, engraving and etching, although there are...
s - Ugo da CarpiUgo da CarpiUgo da Carpi , painter and printmaker, the first Italian practitioner of the art of the chiaroscuro woodcut, a technique involving the use of several wood blocks to make one print, each block cut to produce a different tone of the same colour...
(c. 1480 – between 1520 and 1532), painter and printmaker, the first Italian practitioner of the art of the chiaroscuro woodcut
Saints
- Agatha of SicilyAgatha of SicilySaint Agatha of Sicily is a Christian saint. Her memorial is on 5 February. Agatha was born at Catania, Sicily, and she was martyred in approximately 251...
(fl.FloruitFloruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
3rd cent. AD), legendary Christian saint, martyred under Roman Emperor DeciusDeciusTrajan Decius , was Roman Emperor from 249 to 251. In the last year of his reign, he co-ruled with his son Herennius Etruscus until they were both killed in the Battle of Abrittus.-Early life and rise to power:...
. She is invoked against outbreaks of fire and is the patron saint of bell makers - Agnes of Rome (c.CircaCirca , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
291 – c. 304), legendary Christian martyr, the patron saintPatron saintA patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of girls - Robert BellarmineRobert BellarmineRobert Bellarmine was an Italian Jesuit and a Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was one of the most important figures in the Counter-Reformation...
(1542–1621), theologian, cardinal, Doctor of the ChurchDoctor of the ChurchDoctor of the Church is a title given by a variety of Christian churches to individuals whom they recognize as having been of particular importance, particularly regarding their contribution to theology or doctrine.-Catholic Church:In the Catholic Church, this name is given to a saint from whose...
, and a principal influence in the Counter-ReformationCounter-ReformationThe Counter-Reformation was the period of Catholic revival beginning with the Council of Trent and ending at the close of the Thirty Years' War, 1648 as a response to the Protestant Reformation.The Counter-Reformation was a comprehensive effort, composed of four major elements:#Ecclesiastical or... - Bernardine of Siena (1380–1444), preacher. He was a Franciscan of the Observant congregation and one of the most effective and most widely known preacherPreacherPreacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
s of his day - Charles BorromeoCharles BorromeoCharles Borromeo was the cardinal archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Milan from 1564 to 1584. He was a leading figure during the Counter-Reformation and was responsible for significant reforms in the Catholic Church, including the founding of seminaries for the education of priests...
(1538–1584), cardinal and archbishop. He was one of the leaders of the Counter-Reformation - John BoscoJohn BoscoJohn Bosco , was an Italian Catholic priest, educator and writer of the 19th century, who put into practice the convictions of his religion, dedicating his life to the betterment and education of street children, juvenile delinquents, and other disadvantaged youth and employing teaching methods...
(1815–1888), Catholic priest, pioneer in educating the poor and founder of the Salesian Order - Catherine of SienaCatherine of SienaSaint Catherine of Siena, T.O.S.D, was a tertiary of the Dominican Order, and a Scholastic philosopher and theologian. She also worked to bring the papacy of Gregory XI back to Rome from its displacement in France, and to establish peace among the Italian city-states. She was proclaimed a Doctor...
(1347–1380), Dominican tertiary, mystic, and patron saint of ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
who played a major role in returning the papacy from AvignonAvignonAvignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
to RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
(1377) - Saint CeciliaSaint CeciliaSaint Cecilia is the patroness of musicians and Church music because as she was dying she sang to God. It is also written that as the musicians played at her wedding she "sang in her heart to the Lord". St. Cecilia was an only child. Her feast day is celebrated in the Roman Catholic, Anglican,...
(2nd cent. AD), patron saint of musicianMusicianA musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
s and Church music. Venerated in both East and West, she is one of the eight women commemorated by name in the Canon of the Mass - Francis of PaolaFrancis of PaolaSaint Francis of Paola was an Italian mendicant friar and the founder of the Roman Catholic Order of the Minims.-Biography:...
(1416–1507), mendicant friar. The founder of the MinimsMinim (religious order)The Minims are members of a Roman Catholic religious order of friars founded by Saint Francis of Paola in fifteenth-century Italy...
, a religious order in the Catholic Church - Hippolytus of Rome (170–235), Christian martyr who was also the first antipopeAntipopeAn antipope is a person who opposes a legitimately elected or sitting Pope and makes a significantly accepted competing claim to be the Pope, the Bishop of Rome and leader of the Roman Catholic Church. At times between the 3rd and mid-15th century, antipopes were typically those supported by a...
(217/218–235) - JanuariusJanuariusJanuarius, Bishop of Naples, is a martyr saint of the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Churches. While no contemporary sources on his life are preserved, later sources and legends claim that he died during the Diocletianic Persecution, which ended with Diocletian's retirement in...
(... – c. 305), Bishop and martyr, sometimes called Gennaro, long popular because of the liquefaction of his bloodBloodBlood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....
on his feast day - Lawrence of BrindisiLawrence of BrindisiSaint Lawrence of Brindisi, O.F.M. Cap., , born Giulio Cesare Russo, was a Catholic priest and a member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin....
(1559–1619), Capuchin friar. He was one of the leading polemicists of the Counter-Reformation in Germany - Saint Longinus (1st cent. AD), Roman soldier who pierced JesusJesusJesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
's side with a spearHoly LanceThe Holy Lance is the name given to the lance that pierced Jesus' side as he hung on the cross in John's account of the Crucifixion.-Biblical references:The lance is mentioned only in the Gospel of John and not in any of the...
as he hung on the cross - Saint LucySaint LucySaint Lucy , also known as Saint Lucia, was a wealthy young Christian martyr who is venerated as a saint by Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and Orthodox Christians. Her feast day in the West is 13 December; with a name derived from lux, lucis "light", she is the patron saint of those who are...
(283–304), Christian martyr. She is the patron saint of the city of Syracuse (Sicily) - Philip NeriPhilip NeriSaint Philip Romolo Neri , also known as Apostle of Rome, was an Italian priest, noted for founding a society of secular priests called the "Congregation of the Oratory".-Early life:...
(1515–1595), priest. The founder of the Congregation of the OratoryOratory of Saint Philip NeriThe Oratory of Saint Philip Neri is a congregation of Catholic priests and lay-brothers who live together in a community bound together by no formal vows but only with the bond of charity. They are commonly referred to as Oratorians...
, a congregation of secular priests and clerics - Pio of PietrelcinaPio of PietrelcinaSaint Pio of Pietrelcina was a Capuchin priest from Italy who is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church. He was born Francesco Forgione, and given the name Pio when he joined the Capuchins; he was popularly known as Padre Pio after his ordination to the priesthood. He became famous for his ...
(1887–1968), Capuchin priest. He is renowned among Roman Catholics as one of the Church's modern stigmatists - Rita of CasciaRita of CasciaSaint Rita of Cascia is an Italian Augustinian saint.-Early life:St. Rita was born at Roccaporena near Spoleto, Umbria, Italy....
(1381–1457), Augustinian nun - Saint Rosalia (1130–1166), hermitess, greatly venerated at PalermoPalermoPalermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
and in the whole of Sicily of which she in patroness - Saint ValentineSaint ValentineSaint Valentine is the name of several martyred saints of ancient Rome. The name "Valentine", derived from valens , was popular in Late Antiquity...
(3rd cent. AD), according to tradition, he is the patron saint of courtship, travelers, and young people - VitusVitusSaint Vitus was a Christian saint from Sicily. He died as a martyr during the persecution of Christians by co-ruling Roman Emperors Diocletian and Maximian in 303. Vitus is counted as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers of the Roman Catholic Church....
(c. 290 – c. 303), Christian saint. He is counted as one of the Fourteen Holy HelpersFourteen Holy HelpersThe Fourteen Holy Helpers are a group of saints venerated together in Roman Catholicism because their intercession is believed to be particularly effective, especially against various diseases...
of the Catholic Church
Scientists
- Maria Gaetana AgnesiMaria Gaetana AgnesiMaria Gaetana Agnesi was an Italian linguist, mathematician, and philosopher. Agnesi is credited with writing the first book discussing both differential and integral calculus. She was an honorary member of the faculty at the University of Bologna...
(1718–1799), linguist, mathematician and philosopher, considered to be the first woman in the Western world to have achieved a reputation in mathematicsMathematicsMathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity... - Adriano Aguzzi (born 1960), director of the Institute of Neuropathology at Zurich UniversityUniversity Hospital ZurichThe University Hospital Zurich is the university hospital of Zürich, Switzerland. It is the country's largest hospital.The first hospital in Zürich, whose continuation the University Hospital ultimately is, is recorded as having existed as early as 1204. The name, location and buildings have since...
, discovered pathogenetic mechanisms involved in neurodegenerative diseases - Ulisse AldrovandiUlisse AldrovandiUlisse Aldrovandi was an Italian naturalist, the moving force behind Bologna's botanical garden, one of the first in Europe. Carolus Linnaeus and the comte de Buffon reckoned him the father of natural history studies...
(1522–1605), naturalist, noted for his systematic and accurate observations of animalAnimalAnimals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s, plantPlantPlants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
s and mineralMineralA mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
s - Giovanni Battista AmiciGiovanni Battista AmiciGiovanni Battista Amici was an Italian astronomer and microscopist.Amici was born in Modena, Italy. After studying at Bologna, he became professor of mathematics at Modena, and in 1831 was appointed inspector-general of studies in the Duchy of Modena...
(1786–1863), astronomer and microscopist. The inventor of the catadioptric microscope (presented at the Arts and Industry Exhibition in Milan in 1812) - Antonio Amodeo (... – ...), heart surgeon, together to his team implanted the world's first completely artificial heartArtificial heartAn artificial heart is a mechanical device that replaces the heart. Artificial hearts are typically used in order to bridge the time to heart transplantation, or to permanently replace the heart in case transplantation is impossible...
into a 15-year-old boy (2010) - Giovanni ArduinoGiovanni Arduino (geologist)Giovanni Arduino was an Italian geologist who is known as the "Father of Italian Geology".Arduino was born at Caprino Veronese, Veneto. He was a mining specialist who developed possibly the first classification of geological time, based on study of the geology of northern Italy...
(1714–1795), father of Italian geologyGeologyGeology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
, who established bases for stratigraphic chronology by classifying the four main layers of the Earth’s crustCrust (geology)In geology, the crust is the outermost solid shell of a rocky planet or natural satellite, which is chemically distinct from the underlying mantle... - Silvano ArietiSilvano ArietiSilvano Arieti was a psychiatrist regarded in his time as one of the world’s foremost authorities on schizophrenia. He received his M.D. from the University of Pisa but left Italy soon after because of Benito Mussolini's increasingly racial policies...
(1914–1981), psychiatrist and psychoanalyst long recognized as a leading authority on schizophreniaSchizophreniaSchizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social... - Alessandro Artom (1867–1927), physicist, specializing in radiolelegraphy. He invented the Artom system of telegraphy, and also made discoveries in dielectrics and meteorology
- Gaspare Aselli (c.CircaCirca , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
1581–1625), physician who contributed to the knowledge of the circulation of body fluids by discovering the lactealLactealA lacteal is a lymphatic capillary that absorbs dietary fats in the villi of the small intestine.Triglycerides are emulsified by bile and hydrolyzed by the enzyme lipase, resulting in a mixture of fatty acids and monoglycerides. These then pass from the intestinal lumen into the enterocyte, where...
vessels - Roberto AssagioliRoberto AssagioliRoberto Assagioli was an Italian psychiatrist and pioneer in the fields of humanistic and transpersonal psychology. Assagioli founded the psychological movement known as psychosynthesis, which is still being developed today by therapists, and psychologists, who practice his technique...
(1888–1974), psychiatrist and psychologist. The founder of the healing system known as psychosynthesisPsychosynthesisPsychosynthesis is an approach to psychology that was developed by Roberto Assagioli, M.D. He compared psychosynthesis to the prevailing thinking of the day, contrasting psychosynthesis for example with Existential psychology, but unlike the latter considered loneliness not to be "either ultimate... - Gjuro Baglivi (1668–1707), physician and scientist. He published the first clinical description of pulmonary edemaPulmonary edemaPulmonary edema , or oedema , is fluid accumulation in the air spaces and parenchyma of the lungs. It leads to impaired gas exchange and may cause respiratory failure...
and made classic observations on the histology and physiology of muscle - Franco BasagliaFranco BasagliaFranco Basaglia was an Italian psychiatrist and neurologist, professor who proposed the dismantling of psychiatric hospitals, pioneer of the modern concept of mental health, Italian psychiatry reformer, charismatic leader in Italian psychiatry, figurehead and founder of Democratic...
(1924–1980), psychiatrist. He was the promoter of an important reform in the Italian mental healthMental healthMental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
system, the "legge 180/78Basaglia LawBasaglia Law is the Italian Mental Health Act of 1978 which signified a large reform of the psychiatric system in Italy, contained directives for the closing down of all psychiatric hospitals and led to their gradual replacement with a whole range of community-based services, including settings...
" (law number 180, year 1978) - Agostino BassiAgostino BassiAgostino Bassi, sometimes called de Lodi, was an Italian entomologist. He preceded Louis Pasteur in the discovery that microorganisms can be the cause of disease...
(1773–1856), entomologist. The first person to succeed in the experimental transmission of a contagious diseaseContagious diseaseA contagious disease is a subset category of infectious diseases , which are easily transmitted by physical contact with the person suffering the disease, or by their secretions or objects touched by them.... - Laura BassiLaura BassiLaura Maria Caterina Bassi was an Italian scientist, the first woman to officially teach at a university in Europe.-Biography:Born in Bologna into a wealthy family with a lawyer as a father, she was privately educated and tutored for seven years in her teens by Gaetano Tacconi...
(1711–1778), scientist who was the first woman to become a physicsPhysicsPhysics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
professor at a European university - Catia Bastioli (born 1957), chemist, allowed the production of the first bioplastics from renewable
- Jacopo Berengario da CarpiJacopo Berengario da CarpiJacopo Berengario da Carpi was an Italian physician. His book "Anatomia Carpi" published in 1535 made him the most important anatomist before Andreas Vesalius.-Early years:Jacopo Berengario da Carpi was the son of a surgeon...
(c. 1460 – c. 1530), physician and anatomist who was the first to describe the heart valveHeart valveA heart valve normally allows blood flow in only one direction through the heart. The four valves commonly represented in a mammalian heart determine the pathway of blood flow through the heart...
s - Giulio BizzozeroGiulio BizzozeroGiulio Bizzozero was an Italian doctor and medical researcher. He is known as the original discoverer of Helicobacter pylori, the bacteria which is responsible for peptic ulcer disease...
(1846–1901), anatomist. He is known as the original discoverer of Helicobacter pyloriHelicobacter pyloriHelicobacter pylori , previously named Campylobacter pyloridis, is a Gram-negative, microaerophilic bacterium found in the stomach. It was identified in 1982 by Barry Marshall and Robin Warren, who found that it was present in patients with chronic gastritis and gastric ulcers, conditions that were...
(1893) - Enrico BombieriEnrico BombieriEnrico Bombieri is a mathematician who has been working at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. Bombieri's research in number theory, algebraic geometry, and mathematical analysis have earned him many international prizes --- a Fields Medal in 1974 and the Balzan Prize in 1980...
(born 1940), mathematician who was awarded the Fields MedalFields MedalThe Fields Medal, officially known as International Medal for Outstanding Discoveries in Mathematics, is a prize awarded to two, three, or four mathematicians not over 40 years of age at each International Congress of the International Mathematical Union , a meeting that takes place every four...
in 1974 for his work in number theoryNumber theoryNumber theory is a branch of pure mathematics devoted primarily to the study of the integers. Number theorists study prime numbers as well... - Claudio BordignonClaudio BordignonIn 1992 Doctor Claudio Bordignon working at the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy performed the first procedure of gene therapy using hematopoietic stem cells as vectors to deliver genes intended to correct hereditary diseases. This was a world first...
(born 1950), biologist, performed the first procedure of gene therapyGene therapyGene therapy is the insertion, alteration, or removal of genes within an individual's cells and biological tissues to treat disease. It is a technique for correcting defective genes that are responsible for disease development...
using stem cells as gene vectors (1992) - Giovanni Alfonso BorelliGiovanni Alfonso BorelliGiovanni Alfonso Borelli was a Renaissance Italian physiologist, physicist, and mathematician. He contributed to the modern principle of scientific investigation by continuing Galileo's custom of testing hypotheses against observation...
(1608–1679), physiologist and physicist who was the first to explain muscular movement and other body functions according to the laws of statics and dynamics - Enrico Bottini (1835–1903), surgeon. A precursor of antiseptic treatment of woundWoundA wound is a type of injury in which skin is torn, cut or punctured , or where blunt force trauma causes a contusion . In pathology, it specifically refers to a sharp injury which damages the dermis of the skin.-Open:...
s (used phenolPhenolPhenol, also known as carbolic acid, phenic acid, is an organic compound with the chemical formula C6H5OH. It is a white crystalline solid. The molecule consists of a phenyl , bonded to a hydroxyl group. It is produced on a large scale as a precursor to many materials and useful compounds...
as an antiseptic 2 years before Joseph ListerJoseph Lister, 1st Baron ListerJoseph Lister, 1st Baron Lister OM, FRS, PC , known as Sir Joseph Lister, Bt., between 1883 and 1897, was a British surgeon and a pioneer of antiseptic surgery, who promoted the idea of sterile surgery while working at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary...
) - Giacomo BresadolaGiacomo BresadolaGiacomo Bresadola 14 February 1847 – Trento 9 June 1929) was an eminent Italian mycologist. Fungi he named include the deadly Lepiota helveola and Inocybe patouillardii, though the latter is now known as Inocybe erubescens as this latter description predated Bresadola's by a year...
(1847–1929), clergyman and a prolific and influential mycologist - Francesco BrioschiFrancesco BrioschiFrancesco Brioschi was an Italian mathematician.Brioschi was born in Milan in 1824. From 1850 he taught analytical mechanics in the University of Pavia. After the Italian unification in 1861, he was elected depute in the Parliament of Italy and then appointed twice secretary of the Education...
(1824–1897), mathematician. He is best remembered for his contributions to the theory of algebraic equations and to the applications of mathematicsMathematicsMathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
to hydraulicsHydraulicsHydraulics is a topic in applied science and engineering dealing with the mechanical properties of liquids. Fluid mechanics provides the theoretical foundation for hydraulics, which focuses on the engineering uses of fluid properties. In fluid power, hydraulics is used for the generation, control,... - Giuseppe Brotzu (1895–1976), physician, famous for having discovered the cephalosporinCephalosporinThe cephalosporins are a class of β-lactam antibiotics originally derived from Acremonium, which was previously known as "Cephalosporium".Together with cephamycins they constitute a subgroup of β-lactam antibiotics called cephems.-Medical use:...
(1948) - Luigi Valentino Brugnatelli (1761–1818), chemist, inventor of electroplatingElectroplatingElectroplating is a plating process in which metal ions in a solution are moved by an electric field to coat an electrode. The process uses electrical current to reduce cations of a desired material from a solution and coat a conductive object with a thin layer of the material, such as a metal...
(1805) - Tito Livio BurattiniTito Livio BurattiniTito Livio Burattini was an inventor, architect, Egyptologist, scientist, instrument-maker, traveller, engineer, and nobleman. He was born in Agordo, Italy, and studied in Padua and Venice...
(1617–1681), mathematician, in his book Misura Universale, published in 1675, first suggested the name meter as the name for a unit of length - Nicola CabibboNicola CabibboNicola Cabibbo was an Italian physicist, best known for his work on the weak interaction. He was also the president of the Italian National Institute of Nuclear Physics from 1983 to 1992, and from 1993 until his death he was the president of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences...
(1935–2010), physicist who reconciled these strange-particle decays with the universality of weak interactionWeak interactionWeak interaction , is one of the four fundamental forces of nature, alongside the strong nuclear force, electromagnetism, and gravity. It is responsible for the radioactive decay of subatomic particles and initiates the process known as hydrogen fusion in stars...
s - Leopoldo Marco Antonio CaldaniLeopoldo Marco Antonio CaldaniLeopoldo Marco Antonio Caldani was an Italian anatomist and physiologist.Caldani was born in Bologna, Italy. He studied medicine in Bologna, receiving his degree in 1750, and became a professor of practical medicine in 1755...
(1725–1813), anatomist and physiologist. He is noted for his experimental studies on the function of the spinal cordSpinal cordThe spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular bundle of nervous tissue and support cells that extends from the brain . The brain and spinal cord together make up the central nervous system... - Temistocle Calzecchi-OnestiTemistocle Calzecchi-Onesti-References:* at radiomarconi.com* at browsebiography.com...
(1853–1922), physicist, invented a tube filled with iron filings, called a "cohererCohererThe coherer was a primitive form of radio signal detector used in the first radio receivers during the wireless telegraphy era at the beginning of the twentieth century. Invented around 1890 by French scientist Édouard Branly, it consisted of a tube or capsule containing two electrodes spaced a...
" (1884) - Tommaso CampaillaTommaso CampaillaTommaso Campailla was an Italian philosopher and poet.He was born in Modica in 1668 from an aristocratic family. When he was sixteen years old he moved to Catania to study law, but in a short time he came back to his native town where he preferred to study as an autodidact. He got married and had...
(1668–1740), physician, philosopher and poet, inventor of "vapour stovens" that he used to fight syphilisSyphilisSyphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The primary route of transmission is through sexual contact; however, it may also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy or at birth, resulting in congenital syphilis...
rheumatismRheumatismRheumatism or rheumatic disorder is a non-specific term for medical problems affecting the joints and connective tissue. The study of, and therapeutic interventions in, such disorders is called rheumatology.-Terminology:... - Giuseppe CampaniGiuseppe CampaniGiuseppe Campani was an Italian optician and astronomer who lived in Rome during the latter half of the 17th century.His brother, Matteo Campani-Alimenis, and he were experts in grinding and polishing lenses, especially for very long focal length aerial telescope objectives...
(1635–1715), optician and astronomer who invented a lens-grinding lathe - Giuseppe Candido (1837–1906), BishopBishop (Catholic Church)In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
of the Catholic Church, physicist, created a device able to emit a constant currentConstant currentConstant current is a term most often used in electronics to describe a system that can vary the voltage across an electronic circuit to maintain a constant electric current....
for long periods of time - Stanislao CannizzaroStanislao CannizzaroStanislao Cannizzaro, FRS was an Italian chemist. He is remembered today largely for the Cannizzaro reaction and for his influential role in the atomic-weight deliberations of the Karlsruhe Congress in 1860.-Biography:...
(1826–1910), chemist, in 1858 put an end to confusion over values to be attributed to atomic weights, using AvogadroAmedeo AvogadroLorenzo Romano Amedeo Carlo Avogadro di Quaregna e di Cerreto, Count of Quaregna and Cerreto was an Italian savant. He is most noted for his contributions to molecular theory, including what is known as Avogadro's law...
’s hypothesis - Federico CapassoFederico CapassoFederico Capasso , a prominent applied physicist, was one of the inventors of the quantum cascade laser during his work at Bell Laboratories. He is currently on the faculty of Harvard University...
(born 1949), physicist, one of the inventors of the quantum cascade laserQuantum cascade laserQuantum cascade lasers are semiconductor lasers that emit in the mid- to far-infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum and were first demonstrated by Jerome Faist, Federico Capasso, Deborah Sivco, Carlo Sirtori, Albert Hutchinson, and Alfred Cho at Bell Laboratories in 1994.Unlike typical...
(QCL) in 1994 - Mario CapecchiMario CapecchiMario Renato Capecchi is an Italian-born American molecular geneticist and a co-winner of the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering a method for introducing homologous recombination in mice employing embryonic stem cells, with Martin Evans and Oliver Smithies...
(born 1937), molecular geneticist, famous for having contribution to development of "knockout mice" (1989) - Gerolamo CardanoGerolamo CardanoGerolamo Cardano was an Italian Renaissance mathematician, physician, astrologer and gambler...
(1501–1576), mathematician and physician; initiated the general theory of cubicCubic functionIn mathematics, a cubic function is a function of the formf=ax^3+bx^2+cx+d,\,where a is nonzero; or in other words, a polynomial of degree three. The derivative of a cubic function is a quadratic function...
and quartic equations. He emphasized the need for both negative and complex numberComplex numberA complex number is a number consisting of a real part and an imaginary part. Complex numbers extend the idea of the one-dimensional number line to the two-dimensional complex plane by using the number line for the real part and adding a vertical axis to plot the imaginary part...
s - Antonio CardarelliAntonio CardarelliAntonio Cardarelli was an Italian physician remembered for describing Cardarelli's sign.- Biography :...
(1831–1926), physician remembered for describing Cardarelli's signCardarelli's signCardarelli's sign is an abnormal pulsation of the trachea that may be found in patients with a dilation or aneurysm of the aortic arch.Cardarelli's sign can be felt by a physician pressing on the thyroid cartilage and displacing it to the patient's left... - Antonio CariniAntonio CariniAntonio Carini was an Italian physician, bacteriologist and professor. He worked in the public health services of São Paulo, Brazil for over forty years....
(1872–1950), physician and bacteriologist who discovered Pneumocystis carinii, which is responsible for recurrent pneumoniaPneumoniaPneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
in patients with AIDSAIDSAcquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus... - Francesco CarliniFrancesco CarliniFrancesco Carlini was an Italian astronomer. Born in Milan, he became director of the observatory there in 1832. He published Nuove tavole de moti apparenti del sole in 1832. In 1810, he had already published Esposizione di un nuovo metodo di construire le taole astronomiche applicato alle...
(1783–1862), astronomer. Worked in the field of celestial mechanicsCelestial mechanicsCelestial mechanics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the motions of celestial objects. The field applies principles of physics, historically classical mechanics, to astronomical objects such as stars and planets to produce ephemeris data. Orbital mechanics is a subfield which focuses on...
, improved the theory of the motion of the MoonMoonThe Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more... - Giovanni CaselliGiovanni CaselliGiovanni Caselli was an Italian physicist. He is the inventor of the pantelegraph , the predecessor of the modern fax machine...
(1815–1891), physicist, inventor of the pantelegraphPantelegraphThe pantelegraph was an early form of facsimile machine transmitting over normal telegraph lines developed by Giovanni Caselli, used commercially in the 1860s, that was the first such device to enter practical service, It could transmit handwriting, signatures, or drawings within an area of up to...
(1861) - Giovanni Domenico CassiniGiovanni Domenico CassiniThis article is about the Italian-born astronomer. For his French-born great-grandson, see Jean-Dominique Cassini.Giovanni Domenico Cassini was an Italian/French mathematician, astronomer, engineer, and astrologer...
(1625–1712), mathematician, astronomer, engineer and astrologer who was the first to observe four of SaturnSaturnSaturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in the Solar System, after Jupiter. Saturn is named after the Roman god Saturn, equated to the Greek Cronus , the Babylonian Ninurta and the Hindu Shani. Saturn's astronomical symbol represents the Roman god's sickle.Saturn,...
's moonsNatural satelliteA natural satellite or moon is a celestial body that orbits a planet or smaller body, which is called its primary. The two terms are used synonymously for non-artificial satellites of planets, of dwarf planets, and of minor planets.... - Bonaventura CavalieriBonaventura CavalieriBonaventura Francesco Cavalieri was an Italian mathematician. He is known for his work on the problems of optics and motion, work on the precursors of infinitesimal calculus, and the introduction of logarithms to Italy...
(1598–1647), mathematician. He invented the method of indivisibles (1635) that foreshadowed integral calculus - Luigi Luca Cavalli-SforzaLuigi Luca Cavalli-SforzaLuigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza is an Italian population geneticist born in Genoa, who has been a professor at Stanford University since 1970 .-Books:...
(born 1922), population geneticist, currently teaching since 1970 as emeritusEmeritusEmeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
professor at Stanford UniversityStanford UniversityThe Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. One of the most important geneticistGeneticistA geneticist is a biologist who studies genetics, the science of genes, heredity, and variation of organisms. A geneticist can be employed as a researcher or lecturer. Some geneticists perform experiments and analyze data to interpret the inheritance of skills. A geneticist is also a Consultant or...
s of the 20th century - Tiberius CavalloTiberius CavalloTiberius Cavallo was an Italian physicist and natural philosopher.-Life:He was born at Naples, where his father was a physician....
(1749–1809), physicist and natural philosopher who wrote on the early experiments with electricityElectricityElectricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
. He was known contemporaneously as the inventor of Cavallo's multiplierCavallo's multiplierCavallo's multiplier was an early electrostatic influence machine, invented in 1795 by the Anglo-Italian natural philosopher Tiberius Cavallo. Its purpose was to multiply, or amplify, a small electric charge to a level where it was detectable by the insensitive electroscopes of the day... - Filippo Cecchi (1822–1887), physicist, inventor of the first modern seismograph (1875)
- Ugo CerlettiUgo CerlettiUgo Cerletti was an Italian neurologist who discovered the method of electroconvulsive therapy in psychiatry. Electroconvulsive therapy is a procedure in which electric currents are passed through the brain, deliberately triggering a brief seizure...
(1877–1963), neurologist, co-inventor with Lucio BiniLucio BiniLucio Bini was an Italian psychiatrist and professor at the University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy. Together with Ugo Cerletti, a neurophysiologist, he researched and discovered the method of electroconvulsive therapy, a kind of shock therapy for mental diseases.-References:*Kalinowsky, LB: Lucio...
, of the method of electroconvulsive therapyElectroconvulsive therapyElectroconvulsive therapy , formerly known as electroshock, is a psychiatric treatment in which seizures are electrically induced in anesthetized patients for therapeutic effect. Its mode of action is unknown...
in psychiatryPsychiatryPsychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities... - Vincenzo CerulliVincenzo CerulliVincenzo Cerulli was an Italian astronomer who owned a private observatory in Teramo, where he was born.Cerulli compiled a star catalog with Elia Millosevich...
(1859–1927), astronomer. The author of the idea that the canali are just a special kind of optical illusionOptical illusionAn optical illusion is characterized by visually perceived images that differ from objective reality. The information gathered by the eye is processed in the brain to give a perception that does not tally with a physical measurement of the stimulus source... - Andrea CesalpinoAndrea CesalpinoAndrea Cesalpino was an Italian physician, philosopher and botanist....
(1519–1603), physician, philosopher and botanist, produced the first scientific classification of plantPlantPlants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
s and animalAnimalAnimals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s by genera and species - Ernesto CesàroErnesto CesàroErnesto Cesàro was an Italian mathematician who worked in the field of differential geometry.Cesàro was born in Naples. He is known also for his 'averaging' method for the summation of divergent series, known as the Cesàro mean.-Books by E. Cesaro:* * Ernesto Cesàro (March 12, 1859 – September...
(1859–1906), mathematician. In 1880 he developed methods of finding the sum of divergent seriesDivergent seriesIn mathematics, a divergent series is an infinite series that is not convergent, meaning that the infinite sequence of the partial sums of the series does not have a limit....
. Cesaro made important contributions to intrinsic geometry - Giacinto CestoniGiacinto CestoniDiacinto Cestoni was an Italian naturalist.Born in Montegiorgio, he was self-taught. He lived and worked at Livorno where he led a pharmacy shop next to the port. He studied fleas and algae, and showed that scabies is provoked by Sarcoptes scabiei.-External links:* , Stanford University website*...
(1637–1718), naturalist, studied fleas and algaeAlgaeAlgae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
, and showed that scabiesScabiesScabies , known colloquially as the seven-year itch, is a contagious skin infection that occurs among humans and other animals. It is caused by a tiny and usually not directly visible parasite, the mite Sarcoptes scabiei, which burrows under the host's skin, causing intense allergic itching...
is provoked by Sarcoptes scabieiSarcoptes scabieiSarcoptes scabiei or the itch mite is a parasitic arthropod that burrows into skin and causes scabies. Animals affected include not only human but also wild and domesticated dogs and cats in which it is one cause of mange...
(1689) - Vincenzo ChiarugiVincenzo ChiarugiVincenzo Chiarugi was an Italian physician who introduced humanitarian reforms to the psychiatric hospital care of people with mental disorders. His early part in a movement towards moral treatment was relatively overlooked until a gradual reassessment through the 20th century left his work...
(1759–1820), physician who introduced humanitarian reforms to the psychiatric hospitalPsychiatric hospitalPsychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
care of people with mental disorders - Realdo ColomboRealdo ColomboRealdo Colombo was an Italian professor of anatomy and a surgeon at the University of Padua between 1544 and 1559.- Early life and education :Matteo Realdo Colombo or Renaldus Columbus, was born in Cremona, Lombardy to an apothecary named Antonio Colombo...
(c. 1516–1559), one of the first anatomists in the Western world to describe pulmonary circulationPulmonary circulationPulmonary circulation is the half portion of the cardiovascular system which carries Oxygen-depleted Blood away from the heart, to the Lungs, and returns oxygenated blood back to the heart. Encyclopedic description and discovery of the pulmonary circulation is widely attributed to Doctor Ibn... - Orso Mario CorbinoOrso Mario CorbinoOrso Mario Corbino was an Italian physicist and politician. He served as the minister for education in 1921 and as the minister for economy in 1921. He also served as professor in Messina and in Rome...
(1876–1937), physicist and politician, discovered modulation calorimetry and Corbino effect, a variant of the Hall effect - Alfonso Giacomo Gaspare CortiAlfonso Giacomo Gaspare CortiAlfonso Giacomo Gaspare Corti was born at Gambarana, near Pavia in 1822. A famous friend of Corti's father, Antonio Scarpa, may have kindled his boyhood interest in anatomy and medicine. As a medical student he enrolled first at the University of Pavia. Corti's favorite study there was...
(1822–1876), anatomist, known for his discoveries on the anatomical structure of the earEarThe ear is the organ that detects sound. It not only receives sound, but also aids in balance and body position. The ear is part of the auditory system.... - Domenico CotugnoDomenico CotugnoDomenico Felice Antonio Cotugno was an Italian physician.Born at Ruvo di Puglia/Bari into a family of humble means, Cotugno underwent physical and economic hardships to get an education. He was sent to nearby Molfetta for training in Latin, returning to Ruvo for work in logic, metaphysics,...
(1736–1822), physician. He discovered albuminuriaAlbuminuriaAlbuminuria is a pathological condition wherein albumin is present in the urine. It is a type of proteinuria.Measurement=The amount of protein being lost in the urine can be quantified by collecting the urine for 24 hours, measuring a sample of the pooled urine, and extrapolating to the volume...
(about a half century before Richard BrightRichard Bright (physician)Richard Bright was an English physician and early pioneer in the research of kidney disease.He was born in Bristol, Gloucestershire, the third son of Sarah and Richard Bright Sr., a wealthy merchant and banker. Bright Sr. shared his interest in science with his son,encouraging him to consider it...
) and was also one of the first scientists to identify ureaUreaUrea or carbamide is an organic compound with the chemical formula CO2. The molecule has two —NH2 groups joined by a carbonyl functional group....
in human urineUrineUrine is a typically sterile liquid by-product of the body that is secreted by the kidneys through a process called urination and excreted through the urethra. Cellular metabolism generates numerous by-products, many rich in nitrogen, that require elimination from the bloodstream... - Alessandro Cruto (1847–1908), inventor who improved on Thomas Alva Edison incandescent light bulb with carbon filament (1881)
- Alessandro Dandini (... – ...), scientist, famous for having invented the three-way light bulb in the 20th century
- De Dondi (father and son) (14th century), scholars active in PaduaPaduaPadua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
. They are remembered today as being pioneers in the art of clockClockA clock is an instrument used to indicate, keep, and co-ordinate time. The word clock is derived ultimately from the Celtic words clagan and clocca meaning "bell". A silent instrument missing such a mechanism has traditionally been known as a timepiece...
design and construction - Bruno de FinettiBruno de FinettiBruno de Finetti was an Italian probabilist, statistician and actuary, noted for the "operational subjective" conception of probability...
(1906–1985), probabilist, statistician and actuary, noted for the "operational subjective" conception of probabilityProbabilityProbability is ordinarily used to describe an attitude of mind towards some proposition of whose truth we arenot certain. The proposition of interest is usually of the form "Will a specific event occur?" The attitude of mind is of the form "How certain are we that the event will occur?" The... - Annibale de GasparisAnnibale de GasparisAnnibale de Gasparis was an Italian astronomer. From 1864 to 1889 he was the director of the Astronomical Observatory of Capodimonte in Naples.He won the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1851....
(1819–1892), astronomer, his first asteroidAsteroidAsteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
discovery was 10 Hygiea10 Hygiea10 Hygiea is an asteroid located in the asteroid belt. With somewhat oblong diameters of 350–500 km, and a mass estimated to be 2.9% of the total mass of the belt, it is the fourth largest asteroid by volume and mass...
in 1849. Between 1850 and 1865, he discovered eight more asteroids - Ennio de GiorgiEnnio de Giorgi-References:. The first paper about SBV functions and related variational problems.. The first note published by De Giorgi describing his approach to Caccioppoli sets.. The first complete exposition by De Giorgi of the theory of Caccioppoli sets.. An advanced text, oriented to the theory of minimal...
(1928–1996), mathematician. He brilliantly resolved the 19th Hilbert problemHilbert's nineteenth problemHilbert's nineteenth problem is one of the 23 Hilbert problems set out in a celebrated list compiled in 1900 by David Hilbert. It asks whether the solutions of regular problems in the calculus of variations are always analytic.-History:...
. Today, this contribution is known as the De Giorgi-Nash Theorem - Achille de Giovanni (1838–1916), physician. Called the father of Italian constitutionalism, availed his research of anthropometryAnthropometryAnthropometry refers to the measurement of the human individual...
to determine the differences between individuals - Mondino de LiuzziMondino de LiuzziMondino de Luzzi, or de Liuzzi or de Lucci, , also known as Mundinus, was an Italian physician, anatomist, and professor of surgery who lived and worked in Bologna...
(c. 1270–1326), physician and anatomist whose Anathomia corporis humani (MS. 1316; first printed in 1478) was the first modern work on anatomyAnatomyAnatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy... - Ruggero de Maria (born 1964), physician, discovered stem cellStem cellThis article is about the cell type. For the medical therapy, see Stem Cell TreatmentsStem cells are biological cells found in all multicellular organisms, that can divide and differentiate into diverse specialized cell types and can self-renew to produce more stem cells...
s responsible for causing colonColon (anatomy)The colon is the last part of the digestive system in most vertebrates; it extracts water and salt from solid wastes before they are eliminated from the body, and is the site in which flora-aided fermentation of unabsorbed material occurs. Unlike the small intestine, the colon does not play a...
cancerCancerCancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
(2007) - Francesco de VicoFrancesco de VicoFather Francesco de Vico was an Italian astronomer at Vatican Observatory, and also a Jesuit priest. His name is also written De Vico and even DeVico....
(1805–1848), astronomer. He discovered a number of cometCometA comet is an icy small Solar System body that, when close enough to the Sun, displays a visible coma and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena are both due to the effects of solar radiation and the solar wind upon the nucleus of the comet...
s, including periodic comets 54P/de Vico-Swift-NEAT54P/de Vico-Swift-NEAT54P/de Vico–Swift–NEAT is a periodic comet in the solar system first discovered by Father Francesco de Vico on August 23, 1844. It has become a lost comet several times after its discovery.- First Discovery :...
and 122P/de Vico122P/de Vico122P/de Vico is a short-period comet. It was discovered by Francesco de Vico in Rome on February 20, 1846.- External links :*... - Giambattista della PortaGiambattista della PortaGiambattista della Porta , also known as Giovanni Battista Della Porta and John Baptist Porta, was an Italian scholar, polymath and playwright who lived in Naples at the time of the Scientific Revolution and Reformation....
(c. 1535–1615), scholar and polymathPolymathA polymath is a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas. In less formal terms, a polymath may simply be someone who is very knowledgeable...
. He is best known for his work Magia Naturalis (1558), which dealt with alchemy, magic, and natural philosophy - Luigi Devoto (1864–1936), physician. The founder of the world's first occupational health clinic (1910)
- Ulisse Dini (1845–1918), mathematician and politician whose most important work was on the theory of functions of real variablesImplicit function theoremIn multivariable calculus, the implicit function theorem is a tool which allows relations to be converted to functions. It does this by representing the relation as the graph of a function. There may not be a single function whose graph is the entire relation, but there may be such a function on...
- Eustachio DiviniEustachio DiviniEustachio Divini was an Italian manufacturer and experimenter of optical instruments for scientific use in Rome.-The origins:Eustachio was born on 4 October 1610 in San Severino Marche, from the illustrious Divini's family...
(1610–1685), physician and astronomer; maker of clocks and lenses (1646), innovative compound microscope (1648) - Giovanni Battista DonatiGiovanni Battista DonatiGiovanni Battista Donati ; 16 December 1826, Pisa, Italy – 20 September 1873, Florence, Italy) was an Italian astronomer.Donati graduated from the university of his native city, Pisa, and afterwards joined the staff of the Observatory of Florence in 1852...
(1826–1873), astronomer. He becomes one of the first to systematically adapt the new science of spectroscopySpectroscopySpectroscopy is the study of the interaction between matter and radiated energy. Historically, spectroscopy originated through the study of visible light dispersed according to its wavelength, e.g., by a prism. Later the concept was expanded greatly to comprise any interaction with radiative...
to astronomyAstronomyAstronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth... - Angelo DubiniAngelo DubiniAngelo Dubini , 1813 – March 28, 1902) was an Italian physician born in Milan. He earned his doctorate from the University of Pavia in 1837 and spent most of his professional career at the Ospedale Maggiore in Milan...
(1813–1902), physician who identified Ancylostoma duodenaleHookwormThe hookworm is a parasitic nematode that lives in the small intestine of its host, which may be a mammal such as a dog, cat, or human. Two species of hookworms commonly infect humans, Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus. A. duodenale predominates in the Middle East, North Africa, India...
(1838) - Renato DulbeccoRenato DulbeccoRenato Dulbecco is an Italian virologist who won a 1975 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on reverse transcriptase. In 1973 he was awarded the Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize from Columbia University together with Theodore Puck and Harry Eagle. Dulbecco was the recipient of the Selman A...
(born 1914), virologist. He is probably best known for his brilliant work with two viruses that can transform animal cells into a cancer-like state in the test tube - Pio Emanuelli (1888–1946), astronomer at the Vatican ObservatoryVatican ObservatoryThe Vatican Observatory is an astronomical research and educational institution supported by the Holy See. Originally based in Rome, it now has headquarters and laboratory at the summer residence of the Pope in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, and an observatory at the Mount Graham International...
; invented celestial maps - Federigo EnriquesFederigo EnriquesFederigo Enriques was an Italian mathematician, now known principally as the first to give a classification of algebraic surfaces in birational geometry, and other contributions in algebraic geometry....
(1871–1946), mathematician, known principally as the first to give a classification of algebraic surfaces in birational geometryBirational geometryIn mathematics, birational geometry is a part of the subject of algebraic geometry, that deals with the geometry of an algebraic variety that is dependent only on its function field. In the case of dimension two, the birational geometry of algebraic surfaces was largely worked out by the Italian... - Vittorio ErspamerVittorio ErspamerVittorio Erspamer was an Italian pharmacologist and chemist, known for the identification, synthesis and pharmacological studies of more than sixty new chemical compounds, most notably serotonin and octopamine.-Biography:...
(1909–1999), pharmacologist and chemist, famous for having discovered the serotoninSerotoninSerotonin or 5-hydroxytryptamine is a monoamine neurotransmitter. Biochemically derived from tryptophan, serotonin is primarily found in the gastrointestinal tract, platelets, and in the central nervous system of animals including humans...
(1935) and octopamineOctopamineOctopamine is an endogenous biogenic amine that is closely related to norepinephrine, and has effects on the adrenergic and dopaminergic systems. It is also found naturally in numerous plants, including bitter orange. Biosynthesis of the D--enantiomer of octopamine is by β-hydroxylation of...
(1948) - Bartolomeo EustachiBartolomeo EustachiBartolomeo Eustachi , also known by his Latin name of Eustachius, was one of the founders of the science of human anatomy.-Life:...
(1500 or 1514–1574), anatomist. He described many structures in the human bodyHuman bodyThe human body is the entire structure of a human organism, and consists of a head, neck, torso, two arms and two legs.By the time the human reaches adulthood, the body consists of close to 100 trillion cells, the basic unit of life...
, including the Eustachian tubeEustachian tubeThe Eustachian tube is a tube that links the nasopharynx to the middle ear. It is a part of the middle ear. In adult humans the Eustachian tube is approximately 35 mm long. It is named after the sixteenth-century anatomist Bartolomeo Eustachi...
of the ear - Francesco Faà di BrunoFrancesco Faà di BrunoFrancesco Faà di Bruno was an Italian mathematician and priest, born at Alessandria. He was of noble birth, and held, at one time, the rank of captain-of-staff in the Sardinian Army. He is the eponym of Faà di Bruno's formula...
(1825–1888), mathematician, best known for the Faà di Bruno formula (1855, 1857) - Hieronymus FabriciusHieronymus FabriciusHieronymus Fabricius or Girolamo Fabrizio or by his Latin name Fabricus ab Aquapendende also Girolamo Fabrizi d'Acquapendente was a pioneering anatomist and surgeon known in medical science as "The Father of Embryology."...
(1537–1619), anatomist and surgeon, called the founder of modern embryologyEmbryologyEmbryology is a science which is about the development of an embryo from the fertilization of the ovum to the fetus stage... - Gabriele FalloppioGabriele FalloppioGabriele Falloppio , often known by his Latin name Fallopius, was one of the most important anatomists and physicians of the sixteenth century....
(1523–1562), anatomist and physician. His important discoveries include the fallopian tubeFallopian tubeThe Fallopian tubes, also known as oviducts, uterine tubes, and salpinges are two very fine tubes lined with ciliated epithelia, leading from the ovaries of female mammals into the uterus, via the utero-tubal junction...
s, leading from uterusUterusThe uterus or womb is a major female hormone-responsive reproductive sex organ of most mammals including humans. One end, the cervix, opens into the vagina, while the other is connected to one or both fallopian tubes, depending on the species...
to ovaries - Enrico FermiEnrico FermiEnrico Fermi was an Italian-born, naturalized American physicist particularly known for his work on the development of the first nuclear reactor, Chicago Pile-1, and for his contributions to the development of quantum theory, nuclear and particle physics, and statistical mechanics...
(1901–1954), physicist, constructed the world's first nuclear reactorNuclear reactorA nuclear reactor is a device to initiate and control a sustained nuclear chain reaction. Most commonly they are used for generating electricity and for the propulsion of ships. Usually heat from nuclear fission is passed to a working fluid , which runs through turbines that power either ship's...
(1942), initiated the atomic ageAtomic AgeThe Atomic Age, also known as the Atomic Era, is a phrase typically used to delineate the period of history following the detonation of the first nuclear bomb Trinity on July 16, 1945...
; father of atom bomb - Lodovico FerrariLodovico FerrariLodovico Ferrari was an Italian mathematician.Born in Milan, Italy, grandfather, Bartholomew Ferrari was forced out of Milan to Bologna. He settled in Bologna, Italy and he began his career as the servant of Gerolamo Cardano. He was extremely bright, so Cardano started teaching him mathematics...
(1522–1565), mathematician, famous for having discovered the solution of the general quartic equationQuartic functionIn mathematics, a quartic function, or equation of the fourth degree, is a function of the formf=ax^4+bx^3+cx^2+dx+e \,where a is nonzero; or in other words, a polynomial of degree four... - Galileo FerrarisGalileo FerrarisGalileo Ferraris was an Italian physicist and electrical engineer, noted mostly for the studies and independent discovery of the rotating magnetic field, a basic working principle of the induction motor...
(1847–1897), physicist and electrical engineer, noted for the discovery of the rotating magnetic fieldRotating magnetic fieldA rotating magnetic field is a magnetic field which changes direction at a constant angular rate. This is a key principle in the operation of the alternating-current motor. Nikola Tesla claimed in his autobiography that he identified the concept of the rotating magnetic field in 1882. In 1885,...
, basic working principle of the induction motorInduction motorAn induction or asynchronous motor is a type of AC motor where power is supplied to the rotor by means of electromagnetic induction. These motors are widely used in industrial drives, particularly polyphase induction motors, because they are robust and have no brushes... - Amarro FiambertiAmarro FiambertiAmarro Fiamberti was an Italian psychiatrist who first performed a transorbital lobotomy in 1937...
(... – ...), psychiatrist who first performed a transorbital lobotomyLobotomyLobotomy "; τομή – tomē: "cut/slice") is a neurosurgical procedure, a form of psychosurgery, also known as a leukotomy or leucotomy . It consists of cutting the connections to and from the prefrontal cortex, the anterior part of the frontal lobes of the brain...
(by accessing the frontal lobeFrontal lobeThe frontal lobe is an area in the brain of humans and other mammals, located at the front of each cerebral hemisphere and positioned anterior to the parietal lobe and superior and anterior to the temporal lobes...
of the brainBrainThe brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...
through the orbits) in 1937 - Leonardo Fibonacci (c. 1170 – c. 1250), mathematician, eponym of the Fibonacci numberFibonacci numberIn mathematics, the Fibonacci numbers are the numbers in the following integer sequence:0,\;1,\;1,\;2,\;3,\;5,\;8,\;13,\;21,\;34,\;55,\;89,\;144,\; \ldots\; ....
sequence (1202) - Fortunato Fidelis (1550–1680), physician. The first person to practice modern forensic medicine (1598)
- Quirico FilopantiQuirico FilopantiGiuseppe Barilli , also known under his pseudonym Quirico Filopanti, was an Italian mathematician and politician.-Biography:Barilli was born in Budrio, near Bologna, Italy, on April 20, 1812...
(1812–1894), mathematician and politician, remembered for inventing time zones (1858) - Giorgio Fischer (... – ...), surgeon. The inventor of the liposuctionLiposuctionLiposuction, also known as lipoplasty , liposculpture suction lipectomy or simply lipo is a cosmetic surgery operation that removes fat from many different sites on the human body...
(1974) - Francesco Folli (1623–1685), physician and writer; invented the hygrometerHygrometerA hygrometer is an instrument used for measuring the moisture content in the environmental air, or humidity. Most measurement devices usually rely on measurements of some other quantity such as temperature, pressure, mass or a mechanical or electrical change in a substance as moisture is absorbed...
, an instrument used to measure the atmospheric humidity (1664) - Niccolò Fontana TartagliaNiccolò Fontana TartagliaNiccolò Fontana Tartaglia was a mathematician, an engineer , a surveyor and a bookkeeper from the then-Republic of Venice...
(1499–1557), mathematician who originated the science of ballisticsBallisticsBallistics is the science of mechanics that deals with the flight, behavior, and effects of projectiles, especially bullets, gravity bombs, rockets, or the like; the science or art of designing and accelerating projectiles so as to achieve a desired performance.A ballistic body is a body which is... - Carlo ForlaniniCarlo ForlaniniCarlo Forlanini was an Italian physician.In 1870 he earned his medical degree from the University of Pavia, where he studied as an alumnus of Borromeo College, and afterwards joined the staff of the Ospedale Maggiore in Milan...
(1847–1918), physician, inventor of artificial pneumothoraxPneumothoraxPneumothorax is a collection of air or gas in the pleural cavity of the chest between the lung and the chest wall. It may occur spontaneously in people without chronic lung conditions as well as in those with lung disease , and many pneumothoraces occur after physical trauma to the chest, blast...
(1882) for treatment of pulmonary tuberculosisTuberculosisTuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body... - Girolamo FracastoroGirolamo FracastoroGirolamo Fracastoro was an Italian physician, poet, and scholar in mathematics, geography and astronomy. Fracastoro subscribed to the philosophy of atomism, and rejected appeals to hidden causes in scientific investigation....
(1478–1553), physician and scholar, the first to state the germ theoryGerm theory of diseaseThe germ theory of disease, also called the pathogenic theory of medicine, is a theory that proposes that microorganisms are the cause of many diseases...
of infection and is regarded as the founder of scientific epidemiologyEpidemiologyEpidemiology is the study of health-event, health-characteristic, or health-determinant patterns in a population. It is the cornerstone method of public health research, and helps inform policy decisions and evidence-based medicine by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive... - Guido FubiniGuido FubiniGuido Fubini was an Italian mathematician, known for Fubini's theorem and the Fubini–Study metric.Born in Venice, he was steered towards mathematics at an early age by his teachers and his father, who was himself a teacher of mathematics...
(1879–1943), mathematician, eponym of Fubini's theoremFubini's theoremIn mathematical analysis Fubini's theorem, named after Guido Fubini, is a result which gives conditions under which it is possible to compute a double integral using iterated integrals. As a consequence it allows the order of integration to be changed in iterated integrals.-Theorem...
in measure theory - Galileo GalileiGalileo GalileiGalileo Galilei , was an Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who played a major role in the Scientific Revolution. His achievements include improvements to the telescope and consequent astronomical observations and support for Copernicanism...
(1564–1642), physicist and astronomerAstronomerAn astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
. The founder of modern scienceScienceScience is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
who accurately described heliocentric solar systemSolar SystemThe Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun... - Cesare Galli (... – ...), cloning expert, together to his team of Italian scientists created the world's first cloned horseHorseThe horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
(2003) - Luigi GalvaniLuigi GalvaniLuigi Aloisio Galvani was an Italian physician and physicist who lived and died in Bologna. In 1791, he discovered that the muscles of dead frogs legs twitched when struck by a spark...
(1737–1798), physician and physicist, noted for his discovery of animal electricity - Angelo Giuseppe Maria Gatti (1730–1798), professor of medicine at the University of Pisa. A pioneer in the fight against smallpoxSmallpoxSmallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
- Agostino GemelliAgostino GemelliAgostino Gemelli was an Italian physician, Franciscan friar and psychologist who was also the founder and chancellor of Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore of Milan in 1921....
(1878–1959), physician, psychologist, and priest, founder of a university and eponym of the Agostino Gemelli University PolyclinicAgostino Gemelli University PolyclinicThe Agostino Gemelli University Polyclinic is a large general hospital of 1,850 beds in Rome, Italy. It serves as the teaching hospital for the medical school of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore , and owes its name to the university founder, the Franciscan friar, physician and psychologist... - Luca GhiniLuca GhiniLuca Ghini was an Italian physician and botanist, notable as the creator of the first recorded herbarium, as well as the first botanical garden in Europe....
(1490–1556), physician and botanist, notable as the creator of the first recorded herbariumHerbariumIn botany, a herbarium – sometimes known by the Anglicized term herbar – is a collection of preserved plant specimens. These specimens may be whole plants or plant parts: these will usually be in a dried form, mounted on a sheet, but depending upon the material may also be kept in...
, as well as the first botanical gardenBotanical gardenA botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
in Europe - Riccardo GiacconiRiccardo GiacconiRiccardo Giacconi is an Italian/American Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist who laid the foundations of X-ray astronomy. He is currently a professor at the Johns Hopkins University.- Biography :...
(born 1931), astrophysicist, called the father of X-ray astronomyX-ray astronomyX-ray astronomy is an observational branch of astronomy which deals with the study of X-ray observation and detection from astronomical objects. X-radiation is absorbed by the Earth's atmosphere, so instruments to detect X-rays must be taken to high altitude by balloons, sounding rockets, and... - Clelia GiacobiniClelia GiacobiniClelia Giacobini was an Italian microbiologist, and also a pioneer of microbiology applied to conservation-restoration.- Biography :...
(1931–2010), microbiologist, a pioneer of microbiologyMicrobiologyMicrobiology is the study of microorganisms, which are defined as any microscopic organism that comprises either a single cell , cell clusters or no cell at all . This includes eukaryotes, such as fungi and protists, and prokaryotes...
applied to conservation-restoration - Cesare Gianturco (1905–1995), pioneering radiologist, co-inventor with Gary Roubin, of the coronary stentCoronary stentA coronary stent is a tube placed in the coronary arteries that supply the heart, to keep the arteries open in the treatment of coronary heart disease. It is used in a procedure called percutaneous coronary intervention...
(1976 ?) - Corrado GiniCorrado GiniCorrado Gini was an Italian statistician, demographer and sociologist who developed the Gini coefficient, a measure of the income inequality in a society. Gini was also a leading fascist theorist and ideologue who wrote The Scientific Basis of Fascism in 1927...
(1884–1965), statistician, demographer and sociologist, developer of Gini coefficientGini coefficientThe Gini coefficient is a measure of statistical dispersion developed by the Italian statistician and sociologist Corrado Gini and published in his 1912 paper "Variability and Mutability" .... - Camillo GolgiCamillo GolgiCamillo Golgi was an Italian physician, pathologist, scientist, and Nobel laureate.-Biography:Camillo Golgi was born in the village of Corteno, Lombardy, then part of the Austrian Empire. The village is now named Corteno Golgi in his honour. His father was a physician and district medical officer...
(1843–1926), histologist noted for work on the structure of the nervous systemNervous systemThe nervous system is an organ system containing a network of specialized cells called neurons that coordinate the actions of an animal and transmit signals between different parts of its body. In most animals the nervous system consists of two parts, central and peripheral. The central nervous...
and for his discovery of Golgi apparatusGolgi apparatusThe Golgi apparatus is an organelle found in most eukaryotic cells. It was identified in 1898 by the Italian physician Camillo Golgi, after whom the Golgi apparatus is named....
(1897) - Luigi Guido Grandi (1671–1742), philosopher, mathematician and engineer. He is best known for studying the rose curveRose (mathematics)In mathematics, a rose or rhodonea curve is a sinusoid plotted in polar coordinates. Up to similarity, thesecurves can all be expressed by a polar equation of the form\!\,r=\cos.If k is an integer, the curve will be rose shaped with...
, a curve which has the shape of a petalled flower, and for Grandi's series - Giovanni Battista GrassiGiovanni Battista GrassiGiovanni Battista Grassi was an Italian zoologist, known for work demonstrating that mosquitos carry the malaria parasite Plasmodium in their digestive tract, on the embryological development of honey bees, on parasites, particularly the vine parasite phylloxera, migrations and metamorphosis in...
(1854–1925), zoologist who discovered that mosquitoMosquitoMosquitoes are members of a family of nematocerid flies: the Culicidae . The word Mosquito is from the Spanish and Portuguese for little fly...
es were responsible for transmitting malariaMalariaMalaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
between humanHumanHumans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
s - Francesco Maria GrimaldiFrancesco Maria GrimaldiFrancesco Maria Grimaldi was an Italian Jesuit priest, mathematician and physicist who taught at the Jesuit college in Bologna....
(1618–1663), physicist and mathematician, noted for his discoveries in the field of opticsOpticsOptics is the branch of physics which involves the behavior and properties of light, including its interactions with matter and the construction of instruments that use or detect it. Optics usually describes the behavior of visible, ultraviolet, and infrared light...
, he was the first to describe the diffraction of light - Nicola GuarinoNicola GuarinoNicola Guarino is a researcher in the area of Formal Ontology for Information Systems, and the head of the Laboratory for Applied Ontology , part of the Italian National Research Council in Trento.- History :...
(born 1954), scientist, co-inventor with Chris WeltyChris WeltyChris Welty, an American computer scientist, is a Research Scientist at IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center in Hawthorne, NY, and formerly a professor in the Computer Science Department of Vassar College and a distinguished lecturer of the Association for Computing Machinery. He is best known for...
, of the OntoCleanOntoCleanOntoClean is a methodology for analyzing ontologies based on formal, domain-independent properties of classes due to Nicola Guarino and Chris Welty.-Overview and History:...
, the first methodology for formal ontological analysis - Guido da VigevanoGuido da VigevanoGuido da Vigevano was an Italian physician and inventor. He is notable for his sketchbook Texaurus regis Francie which depicts a number of technological items and ingenious devices, allowing modern scholarship an invaluable insight into the state of medieval technology...
(c. 1280 – c. 1349), physician and inventor who became one of the first writers to include illustrationIllustrationAn illustration is a displayed visualization form presented as a drawing, painting, photograph or other work of art that is created to elucidate or dictate sensual information by providing a visual representation graphically.- Early history :The earliest forms of illustration were prehistoric...
s in a work on anatomyAnatomyAnatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy... - Giovanni Battista HodiernaGiovanni Battista HodiernaGiovanni Battista Hodierna was an Italian astronomer at the court of the Duke of Montechiaro. He compiled a catalog of some 40 entries, including at least 19 real and verifiable nebulous objects that might be confused with comets. The work anticipated Messier's catalogue, but had little impact...
(1597–1660), astronomer. He was one of the first to create a catalog of celestial objects with a telescope - Giulio Iasolino (1538–1622), physician. The author of the Natural remedies of the Island of Pithaecusa (1588), thought to be the first treatise on medical hydrologyHydrologyHydrology is the study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water on Earth and other planets, including the hydrologic cycle, water resources and environmental watershed sustainability...
- Nicola Ielpo (born 1936), former director of State Mint and Polygraphic InstituteIstituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello StatoThe Italian Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato , founded in 1928, is situated at the Piazza Giuseppe Verdi in Rome...
, inventor of bimetallic coin - Arturo IsselArturo IsselArturo Issel was an Italian geologist, palaeontologist, malacologist and archaeologist. He is noted for first defining the Tyrrhenian Stage in 1914...
(1842–1922), geologist, palaeontologist, malacologist and archaeologist. He is noted for first defining the Tyrrhenian StageTyrrhenian StageThe Tyrrhenian Stage is the last faunal stage of the Pleistocene in Italy. It runs from 0.26 million to 0.01143 million years ago. It overlaps with the end of the Middle Pleistocene and all of the Late Pleistocene...
(1914) - Joseph-Louis Lagrange (1736–1813), Italian-French who made major contributions to mathematics and physics, and was one of the world's greatest mathematicianMathematicianA mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
s - Giovanni Maria LancisiGiovanni Maria LancisiGiovanni Maria Lancisi was an Italian physician, epidemiologist and anatomist who made a correlation between the presence of mosquitoes and the prevalence of malaria...
(1654–1720), clinician and anatomist who is considered the first modern hygienist - Marco Lanzetta (born 1963), surgeon who performed the world's first hand transplantHand transplantHand transplantation is a surgical procedure to transplant a hand from one human to another.The operation is carried out in the following order: bone fixation, tendon repair, artery repair, nerve repair, then vein repair. The operation typically lasts 8 to 12 hours...
(1998) - Rita Levi-MontalciniRita Levi-MontalciniRita Levi-Montalcini , Knight Grand Cross is an Italian neurologist who, together with colleague Stanley Cohen, received the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of nerve growth factor...
(born 1909), neurologist, famous for having discovered the nerve growth factorNerve growth factorNerve growth factor is a small secreted protein that is important for the growth, maintenance, and survival of certain target neurons . It also functions as a signaling molecule. It is perhaps the prototypical growth factor, in that it is one of the first to be described...
(NGF) - Aloysius LiliusAloysius LiliusAloysius Lilius , also variously referred to as Luigi Lilio, Luigi Giglio, or Aluise Baldassar Lilio, was an Italian doctor, astronomer, philosopher and chronologist, and also the "primary author" who provided the proposal that became the basis of the Gregorian Calendar reform of 1582.The crater...
(c. 1510–1576), astronomer and physician. The principal author of the Gregorian CalendarGregorian calendarThe Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...
(1582) - Salvador Luria (1912–1991), microbiologist. He shared a 1969 Nobel PrizeNobel PrizeThe Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
for investigating the mechanism of viral infectionInfectionAn infection is the colonization of a host organism by parasite species. Infecting parasites seek to use the host's resources to reproduce, often resulting in disease...
in living cells - Cesare Magati (1579–1647), surgeon. He is remembered for De rara medicatione vulnerum (1616), which discusses the theory and method of healing wounds
- Giovanni Antonio MaginiGiovanni Antonio MaginiGiovanni Antonio Magini was an Italian astronomer, astrologer, cartographer, and mathematician.-Life:...
(1555–1617), astronomer, astrologer, cartographer and mathematician, known for his reduced size edition of Ptolemy’sPtolemyClaudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
Geographiae (1596) - Ettore MajoranaEttore MajoranaEttore Majorana was an Italian theoretical physicist who began work on neutrino masses. He disappeared suddenly in mysterious circumstances. He is noted for the eponymous Majorana equation and for Majorana fermions.-Gifted in mathematics:Majorana was born in Catania, Sicily...
(1906–1938), theoretical physicist. He is noted for the eponymous Majorana equation - Marcello MalpighiMarcello MalpighiMarcello Malpighi was an Italian doctor, who gave his name to several physiological features, like the Malpighian tubule system.-Early years:...
(1628–1694), physician and biologist. He is regarded as the founder of microscopic anatomy and may be regarded as the first histologist - Massimo MarchioriMassimo MarchioriMassimo Marchiori is an Italian computer scientist who made major contributions to the development of the World Wide Web.-Biography:...
(... – ...), computer scientist who made major contributions to the development of the World Wide WebWorld Wide WebThe World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
. He was also the creator of HyperSearch - Guglielmo MarconiGuglielmo MarconiGuglielmo Marconi was an Italian inventor, known as the father of long distance radio transmission and for his development of Marconi's law and a radio telegraph system. Marconi is often credited as the inventor of radio, and indeed he shared the 1909 Nobel Prize in Physics with Karl Ferdinand...
(1874–1937), physicist and inventor of a successful wireless telegraph (1896) - Alberto Marmont (... – ...), professor of hematology, introduced the Stem CellStem cellThis article is about the cell type. For the medical therapy, see Stem Cell TreatmentsStem cells are biological cells found in all multicellular organisms, that can divide and differentiate into diverse specialized cell types and can self-renew to produce more stem cells...
transplant for SLESystemic lupus erythematosusSystemic lupus erythematosus , often abbreviated to SLE or lupus, is a systemic autoimmune disease that can affect any part of the body. As occurs in other autoimmune diseases, the immune system attacks the body's cells and tissue, resulting in inflammation and tissue damage...
(1996); treatment for the severe autoimmune diseases - Macedonio MelloniMacedonio MelloniMacedonio Melloni was an Italian physicist, notable for demonstrating that radiant heat has similar physical properties to those of light.-Life:...
(1798–1854), physicist, notable for demonstrating that radiant heat has similar physical properties to those of lightLightLight or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that is visible to the human eye, and is responsible for the sense of sight. Visible light has wavelength in a range from about 380 nanometres to about 740 nm, with a frequency range of about 405 THz to 790 THz... - Giuseppe MercalliGiuseppe MercalliGiuseppe Mercalli was an Italian volcanologist. He is best remembered today for his Mercalli scale for measuring earthquakes which is still used today.-Biography:...
(1850–1914), volcanologist and seismologist, inventor of the Mercalli intensity scaleMercalli intensity scaleThe Mercalli intensity scale is a seismic scale used for measuring the intensity of an earthquake. It measures the effects of an earthquake, and is distinct from the moment magnitude M_w usually reported for an earthquake , which is a measure of the energy released...
(1902) - Franco ModiglianiFranco ModiglianiFranco Modigliani was an Italian economist at the MIT Sloan School of Management and MIT Department of Economics, and winner of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics in 1985.-Life and career:...
(1918–2003), economist and educator who received the Nobel PrizeNobel PrizeThe Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
for Economics in 1985 for his work on household savings and the dynamics of financial marketFinancial marketIn economics, a financial market is a mechanism that allows people and entities to buy and sell financial securities , commodities , and other fungible items of value at low transaction costs and at prices that reflect supply and demand.Both general markets and...
s - Geminiano MontanariGeminiano Montanarithumb|150px|Geminiano Montanari.Geminiano Montanari was an Italian astronomer, lens-maker, and proponent of the experimental approach to science....
(1633–1687), astronomer. Today, it is better known for his discovery of the variability of the star Algol (c. 1667) - Maria MontessoriMaria MontessoriMaria Montessori was an Italian physician and educator, a noted humanitarian and devout Catholic best known for the philosophy of education which bears her name...
(1870–1952), physician, educator and originator of the educational system that bears her name (1907) - Giovanni Battista MorgagniGiovanni Battista MorgagniGiovanni Battista Morgagni was an Italian anatomist, celebrated as the father of modern anatomical pathology.-Education:...
(1682–1771), anatomist, called the founder of pathologic anatomyAnatomical pathologyAnatomical pathology or Anatomic pathology is a medical specialty that is concerned with the diagnosis of disease based on the gross, microscopic, chemical, immunologic and molecular examination of organs, tissues, and whole bodies... - Angelo MossoAngelo MossoAngelo Mosso , 19th century Italian physiologist, who created the first crude neuroimaging technique by recording the pulsation of the human cortex in patients with skull defects following neurosurgical procedures...
(1846–1910), physiologist who created the first crude neuroimagingNeuroimagingNeuroimaging includes the use of various techniques to either directly or indirectly image the structure, function/pharmacology of the brain...
technique - Giulio NattaGiulio NattaGiulio Natta was an Italian chemist and Nobel laureate. He won a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1963 with Karl Ziegler for work on high polymers.-Early years:...
(1903–1979), chemist, famous for having discovered isotactic polypropylenePolypropylenePolypropylene , also known as polypropene, is a thermoplastic polymer used in a wide variety of applications including packaging, textiles , stationery, plastic parts and reusable containers of various types, laboratory equipment, loudspeakers, automotive components, and polymer banknotes...
(1954) and polymerPolymerA polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units. These subunits are typically connected by covalent chemical bonds...
s (1957) - Adelchi NegriAdelchi NegriAdelchi Negri was an Italian pathologist and microbiologist who was born in Perugia. He studied medicine and surgery at the University of Pavia, where he was a pupil of Camillo Golgi . After graduation in 1900, he became an assistant to Golgi at his pathological institute...
(1876–1912), pathologist and microbiologist who identified what later became known as Negri bodiesNegri bodiesNegri bodies are eosinophilic, sharply outlined, pathognomonic inclusion bodies found in the cytoplasm of certain nerve cells containing the virus of rabies, especially in Ammon's horn of the hippocampus. Often also found in the cerebellar cortex of postmortem brain samples of rabies victims.They...
(1903) in the brains of animalAnimalAnimals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s and humanHumanHumans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
s infected with the rabies virusRabies virusThe rabies virus is neurotropic virus that causes fatal disease in human and animals. Rabies transmission can occur through the saliva of animals.... - Leopoldo NobiliLeopoldo NobiliLeopoldo Nobili, born in 1784 in Trassilico and died 5 August 1835 in Florence, was an Italian physicist who invented a number of instruments critical to investigating thermodynamics and electrochemistry....
(1784–1835), physicist, designed the first precision instrument for measuring electric currentElectric currentElectric current is a flow of electric charge through a medium.This charge is typically carried by moving electrons in a conductor such as wire...
(1825) - Giuseppe OcchialiniGiuseppe OcchialiniGiuseppe Paolo Stanislao "Beppo" Occhialini ForMemRS was an Italian physicist, who contributed to the discovery of the pion or pi-meson decay in 1947, with César Lattes and Cecil Frank Powell . At the time of this discovery, they were all working at the H. H...
(1907–1993), physicist, contributed to the discovery of the pionPionIn particle physics, a pion is any of three subatomic particles: , , and . Pions are the lightest mesons and they play an important role in explaining the low-energy properties of the strong nuclear force....
or pi-mesonMesonIn particle physics, mesons are subatomic particles composed of one quark and one antiquark, bound together by the strong interaction. Because mesons are composed of sub-particles, they have a physical size, with a radius roughly one femtometer: 10−15 m, which is about the size of a proton...
decay in 1947, with César LattesCésar LattesCesare Mansueto Giulio Lattes , also known as Cesar Lattes, was a Brazilian experimental physicist, one of the discoverers of the pion, a composite subatomic particle made of a quark and an antiquark.-Life:Lattes was born to a family of Italian Jewish immigrants in Curitiba, Southern Brazil...
and Cecil Frank PowellCecil Frank PowellCecil Frank Powell, FRS was a British physicist, and Nobel Prize in Physics laureate for his development of the photographic method of studying nuclear processes and for the resulting discovery of the pion , a heavy subatomic particle.Powell was born in Tonbridge, Kent, England, the son of a local... - Barnaba OrianiBarnaba Oriani__FORCETOC__Barnaba Oriani was an Italian priest, geodesist, astronomer and scientist.-Life:Oriani was born in Garegnano , the son of a mason, and died in Milan....
(1752–1832), astronomer. Great scholar of orbital theories - Filippo PaciniFilippo PaciniFilippo Pacini was an Italian anatomist, posthumously famous for isolating the cholera bacillus Vibrio cholerae in 1854, well before Robert Koch's more widely accepted discoveries thirty years later....
(1812–1883), anatomist who isolated the Vibrio choleraeVibrio choleraeVibrio cholerae is a Gram-negative, comma-shaped bacterium. Some strains of V. cholerae cause the disease cholera. V. cholerae is facultatively anaerobic and has a flagella at one cell pole. V...
(1854) ; the bacteria that causes choleraCholeraCholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces... - Antonio PacinottiAntonio PacinottiAntonio Pacinotti was an Italian physicist, who was Professor of Physics at the University of Pisa.-Biography:Pacinotti was born in Pisa, where he also died...
(1841–1912), physicist, inventor of the dynamoDynamo- Engineering :* Dynamo, a magnetic device originally used as an electric generator* Dynamo theory, a theory relating to magnetic fields of celestial bodies* Solar dynamo, the physical process that generates the Sun's magnetic field- Software :...
(1858) and electric motorElectric motorAn electric motor converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.Most electric motors operate through the interaction of magnetic fields and current-carrying conductors to generate force...
(1858) - Luca PacioliLuca PacioliFra Luca Bartolomeo de Pacioli was an Italian mathematician, Franciscan friar, collaborator with Leonardo da Vinci, and seminal contributor to the field now known as accounting...
(1446/7–1517), mathematician. He popularized the system of double accounting for keeping financial records and is often known as the father of modern accounting - Ferdinando PalascianoFerdinando PalascianoFerdinando Palasciano was an Italian physician and politician, considered one of the forerunners of the foundation of the Red Cross.-Biography:...
(1815–1891), physician and politician, considered one of the forerunners of the foundation of the Red Cross - Luigi PalmieriLuigi PalmieriLuigi Palmieri was an Italian physicist and meteorologist. He was famous for his scientific studies of the eruptions of Mount Vesuvius, for his researches on earthquakes and meteorological phenomena and for improving the seismographer of the time.- Biography :Palmieri was born in Faicchio,...
(1807–1896), physicist and meteorologist, inventor of the mercuryMercury (element)Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
seismometerSeismometerSeismometers are instruments that measure motions of the ground, including those of seismic waves generated by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and other seismic sources... - Pier Paolo PandolfiPier Paolo PandolfiDr. Pier Paolo Pandolfi is an award-winning research geneticist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a major teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. The research carried out in Dr...
(born 1963), geneticist, discovered the genes underlying acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) - Vilfredo ParetoVilfredo ParetoVilfredo Federico Damaso Pareto , born Wilfried Fritz Pareto, was an Italian engineer, sociologist, economist, political scientist and philosopher. He made several important contributions to economics, particularly in the study of income distribution and in the analysis of individuals' choices....
(1848–1923), engineer, sociologist, economist, and philosopher, eponym of Pareto distribution, Pareto efficiencyPareto efficiencyPareto efficiency, or Pareto optimality, is a concept in economics with applications in engineering and social sciences. The term is named after Vilfredo Pareto, an Italian economist who used the concept in his studies of economic efficiency and income distribution.Given an initial allocation of...
, Pareto indexPareto indexIn economics the Pareto index, named after the Italian economist and sociologist Vilfredo Pareto, is a measure of the breadth of income or wealth distribution. It is one of the parameters specifying a Pareto distribution and embodies the Pareto principle...
and Pareto principlePareto principleThe Pareto principle states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.Business-management consultant Joseph M... - Giorgio ParisiGiorgio ParisiGiorgio Parisi is an Italian theoretical physicist. He is best known for his works concerning statistical mechanics, quantum field theory and various aspects of physics, mathematics and science in general....
(born 1948), theoretical physicist, called the father of the modern field of chaos theoryChaos theoryChaos theory is a field of study in mathematics, with applications in several disciplines including physics, economics, biology, and philosophy. Chaos theory studies the behavior of dynamical systems that are highly sensitive to initial conditions, an effect which is popularly referred to as the... - Giuseppe Paseo (... – ...), mathematician. Inventor of fractalFractalA fractal has been defined as "a rough or fragmented geometric shape that can be split into parts, each of which is a reduced-size copy of the whole," a property called self-similarity...
lines (1896) - Emanuele PaternòEmanuele PaternòEmanuele Paternò di Sessa was an Italian chemist, discoverer of the Paternò–Büchi reaction.He was born as the Marquess di Sessa and studied at the University of Palermo with Stanislao Cannizzaro. In 1871 he became lecturer at the University of Torino, but returned to Palermo in the following year...
(1847–1935), chemist, discoverer of the Paternò–Büchi reaction (1909) - Giuseppe PeanoGiuseppe PeanoGiuseppe Peano was an Italian mathematician, whose work was of philosophical value. The author of over 200 books and papers, he was a founder of mathematical logic and set theory, to which he contributed much notation. The standard axiomatization of the natural numbers is named the Peano axioms in...
(1858–1932), mathematician and a founder of symbolic logicMathematical logicMathematical logic is a subfield of mathematics with close connections to foundations of mathematics, theoretical computer science and philosophical logic. The field includes both the mathematical study of logic and the applications of formal logic to other areas of mathematics...
whose interests centred on the foundations of mathematicsFoundations of mathematicsFoundations of mathematics is a term sometimes used for certain fields of mathematics, such as mathematical logic, axiomatic set theory, proof theory, model theory, type theory and recursion theory...
and on the development of a formal logical language - Pier Giuseppe Pelicci (born 1956), oncologist, discovered how cancer stem cells become immortal
- Gaetano PerusiniGaetano PerusiniGaetano Perusini was an Italian physician. He was the pupil and the co-worker of Alois Alzheimer and contributed to the definition of the Alzheimer’s disease. In 1915 he joined Italian army and was killed in action on 8 December the same year.-References:...
(1879–1915), physician, remembered for his contribution to the description of AlzheimerAlzheimer's diseaseAlzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
's - Giuseppe PiazziGiuseppe PiazziGiuseppe Piazzi was an Italian Catholic priest of the Theatine order, mathematician, and astronomer. He was born in Ponte in Valtellina, and died in Naples. He established an observatory at Palermo, now the Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo – Giuseppe S...
(1746–1826), mathematician and astronomer who discovered (Jan. 1, 1801) and named the first asteroid, or "minor planet", Ceres - Raffaele PiriaRaffaele PiriaRaffaele Piria , an Italian chemist from Scilla who converted the substance Salicin into a sugar and a second component, which on oxidation becomes salicylic acid, a major component of an analgesic drug, Aspirin .-References:...
(1814–1865), chemist. The first to successfully synthesize salicylic acidSalicylic acidSalicylic acid is a monohydroxybenzoic acid, a type of phenolic acid and a beta hydroxy acid. This colorless crystalline organic acid is widely used in organic synthesis and functions as a plant hormone. It is derived from the metabolism of salicin...
(1839); the active ingredient in aspirinAspirinAspirin , also known as acetylsalicylic acid , is a salicylate drug, often used as an analgesic to relieve minor aches and pains, as an antipyretic to reduce fever, and as an anti-inflammatory medication. It was discovered by Arthur Eichengrun, a chemist with the German company Bayer... - Giovanni Antonio Amedeo PlanaGiovanni Antonio Amedeo PlanaGiovanni Antonio Amedeo Plana was an Italian astronomer and mathematician.He was born in Voghera, Italy to Antonio Maria Plana and Giacoboni. At the age of 15 he was sent to live with his uncles in Grenoble to complete his education. In 1800 he entered the École Polytechnique, and was one of the...
(1781–1864), astronomer and mathematician. The founder of the Observatory of TurinObservatory of TurinThe Osservatorio Astronomico di Torino is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by Italy's Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica... - Annibale Puca (born 1967), physician, famous for having discovered longevity genes
- Bernardino RamazziniBernardino RamazziniBernardino Ramazzini was an Italian physician.Ramazzini was an early proponent of the use of cinchona bark in the treatment of Malaria...
(1633–1714), physician, considered a founder of occupational medicine - Francesco RediFrancesco RediFrancesco Redi was an Italian physician, naturalist, and poet.-Biography:The son of Gregorio Redi and Cecilia de Ghinci was born in Arezzo on February 18, 1626. After schooling with the Jesuits, he attended the University of Pisa...
(1626–1697), physician who demonstrated that the presence of maggotMaggotIn everyday speech the word maggot means the larva of a fly ; it is applied in particular to the larvae of Brachyceran flies, such as houseflies, cheese flies, and blowflies, rather than larvae of the Nematocera, such as mosquitoes and Crane flies...
s in putrefying meat does not result from spontaneous generationSpontaneous generationSpontaneous generation or Equivocal generation is an obsolete principle regarding the origin of life from inanimate matter, which held that this process was a commonplace and everyday occurrence, as distinguished from univocal generation, or reproduction from parent...
but from eggs laid on the meat by flies - Jacopo RiccatiJacopo RiccatiJacopo Francesco Riccati was an Italian mathematician, born in Venice. He is now remembered for the Riccati equation. He died in Treviso in 1754.-Education:...
(1676–1754), mathematician. He is best known in connection with his problem, called Riccati's equation, published in the Acla eruditorum (1724) - Matteo RicciMatteo RicciMatteo Ricci, SJ was an Italian Jesuit priest, and one of the founding figures of the Jesuit China Mission, as it existed in the 17th-18th centuries. His current title is Servant of God....
(1552–1610), missionary to ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, mathematician, linguist and published the first Chinese edition of Euclid's ElementsEuclid's ElementsEuclid's Elements is a mathematical and geometric treatise consisting of 13 books written by the Greek mathematician Euclid in Alexandria c. 300 BC. It is a collection of definitions, postulates , propositions , and mathematical proofs of the propositions... - Gregorio Ricci-CurbastroGregorio Ricci-CurbastroGregorio Ricci-Curbastro was an Italian mathematician. He was born at Lugo di Romagna. He is most famous as the inventor of the tensor calculus but published important work in many fields....
(1853–1925), mathematician, inventor of tensor analysis collaborator with Tullio Levi-CivitaTullio Levi-CivitaTullio Levi-Civita, FRS was an Italian mathematician, most famous for his work on absolute differential calculus and its applications to the theory of relativity, but who also made significant contributions in other areas. He was a pupil of Gregorio Ricci-Curbastro, the inventor of tensor calculus... - Giovanni Battista RiccioliGiovanni Battista RiccioliGiovanni Battista Riccioli was an Italian astronomer and a Catholic priest in the Jesuit order...
(1598–1671), astronomer, devised the system for the nomenclature of lunarMoonThe Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
features that is now the international standard - Augusto RighiAugusto RighiAugusto Righi was an Italian physicist and a pioneer in the study of electromagnetism. He was born and died in Bologna.His early research, conducted in Bologna between 1872 and 1880, was primarily in electrostatics...
(1850–1920), physicist who played an important role in the development of electromagnetismElectromagnetismElectromagnetism is one of the four fundamental interactions in nature. The other three are the strong interaction, the weak interaction and gravitation... - Giovanni Guglielmo Riva (1627–1677), physician. He described the lymphatic circulation (with the Danish Thomas Bartholin)
- Scipione Riva-RocciScipione Riva-RocciScipione Riva-Rocci was an Italian internist and pediatrician who was a native of Almese. He earned his medical degree in 1888 from the University of Turin, and from 1900 until 1928 was director of the hospital in Varese.He developed an easy to use version of the sphygmomanometer...
(1863–1937), internist and pediatrician. The inventor of the first mercuryMercury (element)Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
sphygmomanometerSphygmomanometerA sphygmomanometer or blood pressure meter is a device used to measure blood pressure, comprising an inflatable cuff to restrict blood flow, and a mercury or mechanical manometer to measure the pressure. It is always used in conjunction with a means to determine at what pressure blood flow is just... - RogeriusRogerius (physician)Rogerius , also called Rogerius Salernitanus, Roger Frugard, Roger Frugardi, Roggerio Frugardo, Rüdiger Frutgard and Roggerio dei Frugardi, was a Salernitan surgeon who wrote a work on medicine entitled Practica Chirurgiae around 1180...
(before 1140 – c. 1195), surgeon who wrote a work on medicine entitled Practica Chirurgiae ("The Practice of Surgery") around 1180 - Gian Domenico RomagnosiGian Domenico RomagnosiGian Domenico Romagnosi was an Italian philosopher, economist and jurist.-Biography:Gian Domenico Romagnosi was born in Salsomaggiore Terme....
(1761–1835), philosopher, economist and jurist, famous for having discovered the same link between electricityElectricityElectricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
and magnetismMagnetismMagnetism is a property of materials that respond at an atomic or subatomic level to an applied magnetic field. Ferromagnetism is the strongest and most familiar type of magnetism. It is responsible for the behavior of permanent magnets, which produce their own persistent magnetic fields, as well... - Bruno RossiBruno RossiBruno Benedetto Rossi was a leading Italian-American experimental physicist. He made major contributions to cosmic ray and particle physics from 1930 through the 1950s, and pioneered X-ray astronomy and space plasma physics in the 1960s.-Biography:Rossi was born in Venice, Italy...
(1905–1993), experimental physicist. An authority on cosmic rayCosmic rayCosmic rays are energetic charged subatomic particles, originating from outer space. They may produce secondary particles that penetrate the Earth's atmosphere and surface. The term ray is historical as cosmic rays were thought to be electromagnetic radiation...
s - Carlo RubbiaCarlo RubbiaCarlo Rubbia Knight Grand Cross is an Italian particle physicist and inventor who shared the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1984 with Simon van der Meer for work leading to the discovery of the W and Z particles at CERN.-Biography:...
(born 1934), physicist who in 1984 shared with Simon van der MeerSimon van der MeerSimon van der Meer was a Dutch particle accelerator physicist who shared the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1984 with Carlo Rubbia for contributions to the CERN project which led to the discovery of the W and Z particles, two of the most fundamental constituents of matter.-Biography:One of four...
the Nobel PrizeNobel PrizeThe Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
for Physics for the discovery of the massive, short-lived subatomic W particle and Z particle - Paolo RuffiniPaolo RuffiniPaolo Ruffini was an Italian mathematician and philosopher.By 1788 he had earned university degrees in philosophy, medicine/surgery, and mathematics...
(1765–1822), mathematician and physician who made studies of equations that anticipated the algebraic theory of groupsGroup (mathematics)In mathematics, a group is an algebraic structure consisting of a set together with an operation that combines any two of its elements to form a third element. To qualify as a group, the set and the operation must satisfy a few conditions called group axioms, namely closure, associativity, identity... - Giovanni Girolamo SaccheriGiovanni Girolamo SaccheriGiovanni Girolamo Saccheri was an Italian Jesuit priest, scholastic philosopher, and mathematician....
(1667–1733), philosopher and mathematician who did early work on non-Euclidean geometryNon-Euclidean geometryNon-Euclidean geometry is the term used to refer to two specific geometries which are, loosely speaking, obtained by negating the Euclidean parallel postulate, namely hyperbolic and elliptic geometry. This is one term which, for historical reasons, has a meaning in mathematics which is much...
, although he didn't see it as such - Giuseppe Sanarelli (1864–1940), bacteriologist, discovered the causal agent of yellow feverYellow feverYellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
, which he called Bacillus icteroides (1892) - SanctoriusSanctoriusSantorio Santorio , also called Santorio Santorii, Sanctorius of Padua, and various combinations of these names, was an Italian physiologist, physician, and professor. From 1611 to 1624 he was a professor at Padua where he performed experiments in temperature, respiration and weight...
(1561–1636), physiologist and physician. He laid the foundation for the study of metabolismMetabolismMetabolism is the set of chemical reactions that happen in the cells of living organisms to sustain life. These processes allow organisms to grow and reproduce, maintain their structures, and respond to their environments. Metabolism is usually divided into two categories... - Antonio ScarpaAntonio ScarpaAntonio Scarpa was an Italian anatomist and professor.-Biography:Antonio was born to an impoverished family in the frazione of Lorenzaga, Motta di Livenza, Veneto. An uncle, who was a member of the priesthood, gave him instruction until the age of 15, when he passed the entrance exam for the...
(1752–1832), anatomist, famous for the anatomical eponyms Scarpa triangleFemoral triangleThe femoral triangle is an anatomical region of the upper inner human thigh.-Boundaries:It is bounded by:* the inguinal ligament* the medial border of the adductor longus muscle...
and Scarpa ganglionScarpa's ganglionThe vestibular nerve ganglion is the ganglion of the vestibular nerve. It contains the cell bodies of the bipolar primary afferent neurons whose peripheral processes form synaptic contact with hair cells of the vestibular sensory end organs.It is named for Antonio Scarpa.At birth, it is already...
of the earEarThe ear is the organ that detects sound. It not only receives sound, but also aids in balance and body position. The ear is part of the auditory system.... - Giovanni SchiaparelliGiovanni SchiaparelliGiovanni Virginio Schiaparelli was an Italian astronomer and science historian. He studied at the University of Turin and Berlin Observatory. In 1859-1860 he worked in Pulkovo Observatory and then worked for over forty years at Brera Observatory...
(1835–1910), astronomer and science historian who first observed lines on the surface of MarsMarsMars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
, which he described as canals - Angelo SecchiAngelo Secchi-External links:...
(1818–1878), astronomer. He is known especially for his work in spectroscopySpectroscopySpectroscopy is the study of the interaction between matter and radiated energy. Historically, spectroscopy originated through the study of visible light dispersed according to its wavelength, e.g., by a prism. Later the concept was expanded greatly to comprise any interaction with radiative...
and was a pioneer in classifying starStarA star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
s by their spectra - Emilio Segrè (1905–1989), physicist. Best known for his discovery of the antiprotonAntiprotonThe antiproton is the antiparticle of the proton. Antiprotons are stable, but they are typically short-lived since any collision with a proton will cause both particles to be annihilated in a burst of energy....
- Francesco SelmiFrancesco SelmiFrancesco Selmi was an Italian chemist and patriot, one of the founders of colloid chemistry.Selmi was born in Vignola, then part of the Duchy of Modena and Reggio. He became head of a chemistry laboratory in Modena in 1840, and a professor of chemical pharmacology and toxicology at the University...
(1817–1881), chemist. One of the founders of colloid chemistry - Enrico SertoliEnrico SertoliEnrico Sertoli was an Italian physiologist and histologist who was a native of Sondrio. He studied medicine at the University of Pavia, where one of his instructors was physiologist Eusebio Oehl . He continued his studies of physiology in Vienna under Ernst Wilhelm von Brücke , and in Tübingen...
(1842–1910), physiologist and histologist. The discoverer of the cells of the seminiferous tubulesSeminiferous tubulesSeminiferous tubules are located in the testes, and are the specific location of meiosis, and the subsequent creation of gametes, namely spermatozoa....
of the testis that bear his nameSertoli cellA Sertoli cell is a 'nurse' cell of the testes that is part of a seminiferous tubule.It is activated by follicle-stimulating hormone and has FSH-receptor on its membranes.-Functions:...
(1865) - Ascanio Sobrero (1812–1888), chemist, famous for having discovered the synthesis of nitroglycerine (1846)
- Lazzaro SpallanzaniLazzaro SpallanzaniLazzaro Spallanzani was an Italian Catholic priest, biologist and physiologist who made important contributions to the experimental study of bodily functions, animal reproduction, and essentially discovered echolocation...
(1729–1799), biologist and physiologist, called the father of artificial inseminationArtificial inseminationArtificial insemination, or AI, is the process by which sperm is placed into the reproductive tract of a female for the purpose of impregnating the female by using means other than sexual intercourse or natural insemination...
(done at Pavia in 1784) - Francesco StellutiFrancesco StellutiFrancesco Stelluti was an Italian polymath who worked in the fields of mathematics, microscopy, literature, and astronomy. Alongside Federico Cesi and Johannes Van Heeck, he founded the Accademia dei Lincei in August 1603. In 1625 he published the first accounts of microscopic...
(1577–1652), polymathPolymathA polymath is a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas. In less formal terms, a polymath may simply be someone who is very knowledgeable...
who worked in the fields of mathematics, microscopy, literature and astronomy; in 1625 he published the first accounts of microscopic observationMicroscopeA microscope is an instrument used to see objects that are too small for the naked eye. The science of investigating small objects using such an instrument is called microscopy... - Gasparo TagliacozziGasparo TagliacozziGaspare Tagliacozzi was an Italian surgeon.Tagliacozzi was born in Bologna. He studied at the University of Bologna under Gerolamo Cardano and others, and, at the age of twenty-four, earned his degree in philosophy and medicine. First he was appointed professor of surgery and later was appointed...
(1546–1599), plastic surgeon. He is considered a pioneer in the field; called the father of plastic surgeryPlastic surgeryPlastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand... - Vincenzo Tiberio (1869–1915), microbiologist, attributes itself generally the discovery of penicillinPenicillinPenicillin is a group of antibiotics derived from Penicillium fungi. They include penicillin G, procaine penicillin, benzathine penicillin, and penicillin V....
(1895) - Giuseppe ToaldoGiuseppe ToaldoGiuseppe Toaldo was an Italian Catholic priest and physicist.In his fourteenth year he entered the seminary of Padua, in which he subsequently taught mathematics and Italian literature...
(1719–1797), physicist, gave special attention to the study of atmospheric electricityAtmospheric electricityAtmospheric electricity is the regular diurnal variations of the Earth's atmospheric electromagnetic network . The Earth's surface, the ionosphere, and the atmosphere is known as the global atmospheric electrical circuit...
and to the means of protecting buildings against lightningLightningLightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms... - Evangelista TorricelliEvangelista TorricelliEvangelista Torricelli was an Italian physicist and mathematician, best known for his invention of the barometer.-Biography:Evangelista Torricelli was born in Faenza, part of the Papal States...
(1608–1647), physicist and mathematician, inventor of the barometerBarometerA barometer is a scientific instrument used in meteorology to measure atmospheric pressure. Pressure tendency can forecast short term changes in the weather...
(1643) - Trotula (11th–12th centuries), physician who wrote several influential works on women's medicine; whose texts on gynecology and obstetricsObstetricsObstetrics is the medical specialty dealing with the care of all women's reproductive tracts and their children during pregnancy , childbirth and the postnatal period...
were widely used for several hundred years in EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting... - Pellegrino TurriPellegrino TurriItalian Pellegrino Turri invented a mechanical typing machine, one of the first typewriters in 1801 for his blind lover Countess Carolina Fantoni da Fivizzono. He also invented carbon paper to provide the ink for his machine. Although not much is known about the machine, some of the letters...
(... – ...), has built the first typewriterTypewriterA typewriter is a mechanical or electromechanical device with keys that, when pressed, cause characters to be printed on a medium, usually paper. Typically one character is printed per keypress, and the machine prints the characters by making ink impressions of type elements similar to the pieces...
proven to have worked in 1808. He also invented carbon paperCarbon paperCarbon paper is paper coated on one side with a layer of a loosely bound dry ink or pigmented coating, usually bound with wax. It is used for making one or more copies simultaneous with the creation of an original document...
(1806) - Ugo da Lucca (1180–1258), prominent member of the medical society in ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Famous for having discovered (and introduced) the local anesthesiaAnesthesiaAnesthesia, or anaesthesia , traditionally meant the condition of having sensation blocked or temporarily taken away...
in the 13th century - Carlo UrbaniCarlo UrbaniCarlo Urbani was an Italian physician and the first to identify severe acute respiratory syndrome as a new and dangerously contagious disease...
(1956–2003), physician. The first person to discover severe acute respiratory syndromeSevere acute respiratory syndromeSevere Acute Respiratory Syndrome is a respiratory disease in humans which is caused by the SARS coronavirus . Between November 2002 and July 2003 an outbreak of SARS in Hong Kong nearly became a pandemic, with 8,422 cases and 916 deaths worldwide according to the WHO...
(SARS) in 1998 - Antonio VallisneriAntonio VallisneriAntonio Vallisneri was an Italian medical scientist, physician and naturalist.-Life:Vallisneri was born in Trassilico, a small village in Garfagnana, and graduated in medicine in 1684, in Reggio Emilia, under the guidance of Marcello Malpighi.He studied at Bologna, Venice, Padua and Parma and held...
(1661–1730), physician and naturalist who made numerous experiments in entomology and human organology, and combated the doctrine of spontaneous generationSpontaneous generationSpontaneous generation or Equivocal generation is an obsolete principle regarding the origin of life from inanimate matter, which held that this process was a commonplace and everyday occurrence, as distinguished from univocal generation, or reproduction from parent... - Sansone Valobra (1799–1883), chemist. Generally regarded as the inventor of matches
- Antonio Maria ValsalvaAntonio Maria ValsalvaAntonio Maria Valsalva , was an Italian anatomist born in Imola. His research focused on the anatomy of the ears. He coined the term Eustachian tube and he described the aortic sinuses of Valsalva in his writings, published posthumously in 1740...
(1666–1723), professor of anatomy at Bologna. He described several anatomical features of the earEarThe ear is the organ that detects sound. It not only receives sound, but also aids in balance and body position. The ear is part of the auditory system....
in his book, De aure humana tractatus (1704) - Costanzo VarolioCostanzo VarolioCostanzo Varolio, Latinized as Constantius Varolius, was an Italian anatomist and a papal physician to Gregory XIII. He was a pupil to the anatomist Giulio Cesare Aranzio, himself a pupil of Vesalius. He received his doctorate in medicine in 1567...
(1543–1575), is remembered for his studies on the anatomy of the brainBrainThe brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...
, and his description of the pons that bears his name - Gabriele VenezianoGabriele VenezianoGabriele Veneziano, born in Florence, Italy), is an Italian theoretical physicist and the founder of string theory. . Has spent most of his scientific activities at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland...
(born 1942), theoretical physicist and a founder of string theoryString theoryString theory is an active research framework in particle physics that attempts to reconcile quantum mechanics and general relativity. It is a contender for a theory of everything , a manner of describing the known fundamental forces and matter in a mathematically complete system... - Giovanni Battista VenturiGiovanni Battista VenturiGiovanni Battista Venturi was an Italian physicist. He was the discoverer and eponym of Venturi effect. He was also the eponym of the Venturi pump and Venturi tube....
(1746–1822), physicist. He was the discoverer and eponymEponymAn eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
of Venturi effectVenturi effectThe Venturi effect is the reduction in fluid pressure that results when a fluid flows through a constricted section of pipe. The Venturi effect is named after Giovanni Battista Venturi , an Italian physicist.-Background:... - Emilio Veratti (1872–1967), anatomist who described the sarcoplasmic reticulum
- Alessandro VoltaAlessandro VoltaCount Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio Gerolamo Umberto Volta was a Lombard physicist known especially for the invention of the battery in 1800.-Early life and works:...
(1745–1827), electricity pioneer, eponymEponymAn eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
of the voltVoltThe volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...
, inventor of the electric batteryBattery (electricity)An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
(1800) - Vito VolterraVito VolterraVito Volterra was an Italian mathematician and physicist, known for his contributions to mathematical biology and integral equations....
(1860–1940), mathematician and physicist who strongly influenced the modern development of calculusCalculusCalculus is a branch of mathematics focused on limits, functions, derivatives, integrals, and infinite series. This subject constitutes a major part of modern mathematics education. It has two major branches, differential calculus and integral calculus, which are related by the fundamental theorem... - Giuseppe ZamboniGiuseppe ZamboniGiuseppe Zamboni was an Italian Roman Catholic priest and physicist who invented the Zamboni pile, an early electric battery similar to the Voltaic pile.-Biography:...
(1776–1846), physicist who invented the Zamboni pileZamboni pileThe Zamboni pile is an early electric battery, invented by Giuseppe Zamboni in 1812.A Zamboni pile is an "electrostatic battery" and is constructed from discs of silver foil, zinc foil, and paper...
(1812); a model of dry battery - Francesco ZantedeschiFrancesco ZantedeschiFrancesco Zantedeschi was an Italian priest and physicist.-Biography:A native of Dolcè, near Verona, Zantedeschi was for some time professor of physics and philosophy in the Liceo of Venice. Later he accepted the chair of physics in the University of Padua, which he held until 1853 being then...
(1797–1873), physicist who published papers (1829, 1830) on the production of electric currents in closed circuits by the approach and withdrawal of a magnetMagnetA magnet is a material or object that produces a magnetic field. This magnetic field is invisible but is responsible for the most notable property of a magnet: a force that pulls on other ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, and attracts or repels other magnets.A permanent magnet is an object... - Niccolò ZucchiNiccolo ZucchiNiccolò Zucchi was an Italian Jesuit, astronomer, and physicist.As an astronomer he may have been the first to see the belts on the planet Jupiter , and reported spots on Mars in 1640....
(1586–1670), astronomer and physicist. He is credited with constructing the first reflecting telescopeReflecting telescopeA reflecting telescope is an optical telescope which uses a single or combination of curved mirrors that reflect light and form an image. The reflecting telescope was invented in the 17th century as an alternative to the refracting telescope which, at that time, was a design that suffered from...
(1616) - Giovanni Battista ZupiGiovanni Battista ZupiGiovanni Battista Zupi or Zupus was an Italian astronomer, mathematician, and Jesuit priest.He was born in Catanzaro. In 1639, Giovanni was the first person to discover that the planet Mercury had orbital phases, just like the Moon and Venus. His observations demonstrated that the planet orbited...
(c. 1590–1650), astronomer and mathematician. The first person to discover that the planet MercuryMercury (planet)Mercury is the innermost and smallest planet in the Solar System, orbiting the Sun once every 87.969 Earth days. The orbit of Mercury has the highest eccentricity of all the Solar System planets, and it has the smallest axial tilt. It completes three rotations about its axis for every two orbits...
had orbitOrbitIn physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of an object around a point in space, for example the orbit of a planet around the center of a star system, such as the Solar System...
al phasesPlanetary phasePlanetary phase is the term used to describe the appearance of the illuminated section of a planet. Like lunar phases, the planetary phase depends on the relative position of the sun, the planet and the observer....
Sculptors
- Agostino di DuccioAgostino di DuccioAgostino di Duccio was an Italian early Renaissance sculptor.Born in Florence, he worked in Prato with Donatello and Michelozzo, who influenced him greatly. In 1441, he was accused of stealing precious materials from a monastery in Florence and was banished from his native city as a result...
(1418 – c.CircaCirca , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
1481), sculptor whose work is characterized by its linear decorativeness - Giovanni Antonio AmadeoGiovanni Antonio Amadeothumb|260px|The Colleoni Chapel in Bergamo.Giovanni Antonio Amadeo was an Italian early Renaissance sculptor, architect, and engineer....
(c. 1447–1522), sculptor, architect and engineer; he took part in the sculpture of the great octagonal dome of Milan Cathedral - Bartolomeo AmmanatiBartolomeo AmmanatiBartolomeo Ammannati was an Italian architect and sculptor, born at Settignano, near Florence. He studied under Baccio Bandinelli and Jacopo Sansovino and closely imitated the style of Michelangelo.He was more distinguished in architecture than in sculpture...
(1511–1592), sculptor and architect; his works, the two members of the del Monte family and the Fountains of JunoJuno (mythology)Juno is an ancient Roman goddess, the protector and special counselor of the state. She is a daughter of Saturn and sister of the chief god Jupiter and the mother of Mars and Vulcan. Juno also looked after the women of Rome. Her Greek equivalent is Hera...
and NeptuneNeptune (mythology)Neptune was the god of water and the sea in Roman mythology and religion. He is analogous with, but not identical to, the Greek god Poseidon. In the Greek-influenced tradition, Neptune was the brother of Jupiter and Pluto, each of them presiding over one of the three realms of the universe,...
, are generally considered his masterpieces - Benedetto AntelamiBenedetto AntelamiBenedetto Antelami was an Italian architect and sculptor of the Romanesque school, whose "sculptural style sprang from local north Italian traditions that can be traced back to late antiquity" Little is known about his life. He was probably originally from Lombardy, perhaps born in Val d'Intelvi...
(c. 1150 – c. 1230), sculptor and architect. He is credited with the sculptural decorations of FidenzaFidenzaFidenza is a town and comune in the province of Parma, Emilia-Romagna region, Italy. It has around 24,000 inhabitants. The town was renamed Fidenza in 1927, recalling its Roman name of Fidentia; before, it was called Borgo San Donnino.-History:...
Cathedral and Ferrara CathedralFerrara CathedralFerrara Cathedral is a basilica in Ferrara, Northern Italy, the largest religious edifice in the city... - Arnolfo di CambioArnolfo di CambioArnolfo di Cambio was an Italian architect and sculptor.-Biography:Arnolfo was born in Colle Val d'Elsa, Tuscany....
(c. 1240–1300/1310), sculptor and architect; his sculptures have a strong sense of volume that shows the influence on him of antique Roman models - Bartolommeo BandinelliBartolommeo BandinelliBartolommeo Bandinelli, actually Bartolommeo Brandini , was a Renaissance Italian sculptor, draughtsman and painter.-Biography:...
(1493–1560), sculptor and painter; his most famous and conspicuous sculpture is Hercules and CacusHercules and CacusThe white marble sculpture Hercules and Cacus is to the right of the entrance of the Palazzo Vecchio in the Piazza della Signoria, Florence, Italy....
(1527–34), a pendant to Michelangelo's David - Lorenzo BartoliniLorenzo BartoliniLorenzo Bartolini was an Italian sculptor who infused his neoclassicism with a strain of sentimental piety and naturalistic detail which led him furthermore in the future, while he drew inspiration from the sculpture of the Florentine Renaissance rather than the overpowering influence of Antonio...
(1777–1850), sculptor; his most imposing creation is the Nicola Demidoff monument in Florence - Benedetto da MaianoBenedetto da MaianoBenedetto da Maiano was an Italian sculptor of the early Renaissance.Born in the village of Maiano , he started his career as companion of his brother, the architect Giuliano da Maiano. When he reached the age of thirty he started training under the sculptor Antonio Rossellino...
(1442–1497), sculptor and architect; whose work is characterized by its decorative elegance and realistic detail - Gian Lorenzo BerniniGian Lorenzo BerniniGian Lorenzo Bernini was an Italian artist who worked principally in Rome. He was the leading sculptor of his age and also a prominent architect...
(1598–1680), sculptor and architect. The greatest artist of the BaroqueBaroqueThe Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
period; his best works are Apollo and DaphneApollo and Daphne (Bernini)Apollo and Daphne is a baroque life-sized marble sculpture by Italian Gian Lorenzo Bernini housed in the Galleria Borghese in Rome.It depicts the climax of the story of Daphne and Phoebus in Ovid's Metamorphoses...
(1622–25) and Ecstasy of Saint TheresaEcstasy of Saint TheresaEcstasy of Saint Theresa is a Czech band formed in 1990 by Jan Muchow, Jan Gregar, Petr Wegner and Irna Libowitz. Early shoegaze influences included Siouxsie and the Banshees, Cocteau Twins, and My Bloody Valentine....
(1647–1652) - Umberto BoccioniUmberto BoccioniUmberto Boccioni was an Italian painter and sculptor. Like other Futurists, his work centered on the portrayal of movement , speed, and technology. He was born in Reggio Calabria, Italy.-Biography:...
(1882–1916), painter and sculptor. The leading theorist of futurist artFuturismFuturism was an artistic and social movement that originated in Italy in the early 20th century.Futurism or futurist may refer to:* Afrofuturism, an African-American and African diaspora subculture* Cubo-Futurism* Ego-Futurism...
; his sculpture, Unique Forms of Continuity in SpaceUnique Forms of Continuity in SpaceUnique Forms of Continuity in Space is a bronze Futurist sculpture by Umberto Boccioni. It is seen as an expression of movement and fluidity. Boccioni rejected traditional sculpture and depictions to create this piece and it is seen as a masterpiece of Futurism...
(1913) is generally considered his masterpiece - Antonio CanovaAntonio CanovaAntonio Canova was an Italian sculptor from the Republic of Venice who became famous for his marble sculptures that delicately rendered nude flesh...
(1757–1822), sculptor. Leading exponent of the neoclassicalNeoclassicismNeoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...
school; Psyche Revived by Cupid's KissPsyche Revived by Cupid's KissAntonio Canova's statue Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss, first commissioned in 1787, exemplifies the Neoclassical devotion to love and emotion. It represents the god Cupid in the height of love and tenderness, immediately after awakening the lifeless Psyche with a kiss, a scene excerpted from Lucius...
(1787–93, 1800–03) is one of his best works - Benvenuto CelliniBenvenuto CelliniBenvenuto Cellini was an Italian goldsmith, sculptor, painter, soldier and musician, who also wrote a famous autobiography. He was one of the most important artists of Mannerism.-Youth:...
(1500–1571), goldsmith, medallist, sculptor and writer. He was one of the foremost Italian Mannerist artists of the 16th century - Vincenzo DantiVincenzo DantiVincenzo Danti was an Italian Renaissance sculptor from Perugia.His father was an architect and goldsmith, and Vincenzo developed an interest in drawing and goldsmithing. In 1545 he went to Rome to study sculpture and in 1553 he managed to secure a commission for a bronze statue of Pope Julius III...
(1530–1576), sculptor, architect, and writer, born in PerugiaPerugiaPerugia is the capital city of the region of Umbria in central Italy, near the River Tiber, and the capital of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area....
and active mainly in FlorenceFlorenceFlorence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area.... - Andrea della RobbiaAndrea della RobbiaAndrea della Robbia was an Italian Renaissance sculptor, especially in ceramics. He was the son of Marco della Robbia. Andrea della Robbia's uncle, Luca della Robbia, popularized the use of glazed terra-cotta for sculpture...
(1435–1525), sculptor; his best works are: Crucifixion and the Assumption of the Virgin at La VernaLa VernaLa Verna, in Latin Alverna and geographically known as Monte Penna, is a locality on Mount Penna, an isolated mountain of 1,283 m situated in the centre of the Tuscan Apennines, rising above the valley of the Casentino, central Italy... - Desiderio da SettignanoDesiderio da SettignanoDesiderio da Settignano, real name Desiderio de Bartolomeo di Francesco detto Ferro was an Italian sculptor active during the Renaissance.-Biography:...
(c. 1430–1464), sculptor; his delicate, sensitive, original technique was best expressed in portrait busts of women and children - DonatelloDonatelloDonato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi , also known as Donatello, was an early Renaissance Italian artist and sculptor from Florence...
(c. 1386–1466), sculptor. On of greatest artists of all timeHistory of sculptureThe history of sculpture spans pre-historic and ancient civilizations to the contemporary, from the utilitarian and religious to Modernist abstraction, and conceptual manifestations of both form and content....
, renowned as a pioneer of the RenaissanceRenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
style with his natural, lifelike figures, such as the bronze statue DavidDavid (Donatello)David is the name of two statues by Italian early Renaissance sculptor Donatello.- The biblical text :The story of David and Goliath comes from 1 Samuel 17. The Israelites are fighting the Philistines, whose best warrior - Goliath - repeatedly offers to meet the Israelites' best warrior in...
(c. 1440) - Giovanni Battista FogginiGiovanni Battista Fogginithumb|Tomb of [[Galileo Galilei]] in [[Santa Croce, Florence]].Giovanni Battista Foggini was an Italian sculptor active in Florence, renowned mainly for small bronze statuary.-Biography:...
(1652–1725), sculptor and architect; the foremost Florentine sculptor of the late Baroque period - Domenico GaginiDomenico GaginiDomenico Gagini was an Italian sculptor. He was the son of Pietro Gagini. The Gagini were a family of sculptors and painters working during the Middle Ages and Renaissance...
(1420–1492), sculptor. Although he worked at times in FlorenceFlorenceFlorence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
and RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, he was best known for his activity in northern Italy - Silvio GazzanigaSilvio GazzanigaSilvio Gazzaniga is an Italian sculptor. While working for the Stabilimento Artistico Bertoni company, he created the FIFA World Cup Trophy. Gazzaniga was a graduate of the Brera Academy, as is his daughter, Gabriella, and is a fan of AC Milan.His design was chosen by committee on April 5, 1971...
(born 1921), sculptor. He is the artist who designed and created the FIFA World Cup Trophy - Vincenzo GemitoVincenzo GemitoVincenzo Gemito was an Italian sculptor and artist.Although he worked in various studios of well known artists in his native Naples, Rome and Paris, he is considered to have largely been self-taught, the reason he produced such distinctive works for that time, replacing sentiment with outstanding...
(1852–1929), the most important Italian sculptor of the late 19th century and is increasingly regarded as one of its greatest draughtsmen - Lorenzo GhibertiLorenzo GhibertiLorenzo Ghiberti , born Lorenzo di Bartolo, was an Italian artist of the early Renaissance best known for works in sculpture and metalworking.-Early life:...
(1378–1455), sculptor, goldsmith and designer active in FlorenceFlorenceFlorence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area.... - GiambolognaGiambolognaGiambologna, born as Jean Boulogne, incorrectly known as Giovanni da Bologna and Giovanni Bologna , was a sculptor, known for his marble and bronze statuary in a late Renaissance or Mannerist style.- Biography :...
(1529–1608), sculptor. The greatest artist of the age of MannerismMannerismMannerism is a period of European art that emerged from the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520. It lasted until about 1580 in Italy, when a more Baroque style began to replace it, but Northern Mannerism continued into the early 17th century throughout much of Europe...
; his best works are Fountain of NeptuneFountain of Neptune, BolognaThe Fountain of Neptune is a monumental civic fountain located in the eponymous square, Piazza Nettuno, next to Piazza Maggiore, in Bologna, Italy Its bronze figure of Neptune, extending his reach in a lordly gesture of stilling and controlling the waters, is an early work of Giambologna's...
(1563–67) and The Rape of the Sabine WomenThe Rape of the Sabine WomenThe Rape of the Sabine Women is an episode in the legendary history of Rome in which the first generation of Roman men acquired wives for themselves from the neighboring Sabine families. The English word "rape" is a conventional translation of Latin raptio, which in this context means "abduction"...
(1574–80) - Jacopo della QuerciaJacopo della QuerciaJacopo della Quercia was an Italian sculptor of the Italian Renaissance, a contemporary of Brunelleschi, Ghiberti and Donatello. He is considered a precursor of Michelangelo.-Biography:...
(c. 1374–1438), sculptor; he is especially noted for his imposing allegorical figures for the Gaia Fountain in Siena - Francesco LauranaFrancesco LauranaFrancesco Laurana, also known as Francesco de la Vrana was a Dalmatian-born sculptor and medallist. He is considered as both Croatian and Italian sculptor.-Life and works:...
(c. 1430–1502), sculptor; he is best known for his portrait busts of women, characterized by serene, detached dignity and aristocratic elegance - Leone LeoniLeone LeoniLeone Leoni was an Italian sculptor of international outlook who travelled in Italy, Germany, Austria, France, the Spanish Netherlands and Spain. Leoni is regarded as the finest of the Cinquecento medallists. He made his reputation in commissions he received from the Habsburg monarchs Charles V,...
(1509–1590), sculptor and medalist; his most important works were kneeling bronze figures of Charles VCharles V, Holy Roman EmperorCharles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
and Philip IIPhilip II of SpainPhilip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
, with their families, for the sanctuary in the Escorial - Tullio Lombardo (1460–1532), sculptor; he is noted for the mausoleum of Doge Pietro MocenigoPietro MocenigoPietro Mocenigo was doge of Venice from 1474 to 1476.He was one of the greatest Venetian admirals and revived the fortunes of his country's navy, which had fallen very low after the defeat at Negropont in 1470...
in Santi Giovanni e Paolo and for other tombs, including that of DanteDANTEDelivery of Advanced Network Technology to Europe is a not-for-profit organisation that plans, builds and operates the international networks that interconnect the various national research and education networks in Europe and surrounding regions...
at RavennaRavennaRavenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and the second largest comune in Italy by land area, although, at , it is little more than half the size of the largest comune, Rome... - Stefano MadernoStefano MadernoStefano Maderno was an Italian sculptor.-Biography:News about Maderno's life are scarce and often contradictory...
(c. 1576–1636), sculptor. He was one of the leading sculptors in Rome during the papacy of Paul V (1605–1621) - Giacomo ManzùGiacomo ManzùGiacomo Manzù, pseudonym of Giacomo Manzoni , was an Italian sculptor, communist, and Roman Catholic.-Biography:...
(1908–1991), sculptor; he is best known for his relief sculptures, which give contemporary dimensions to Christian themes - Marino Marini (1901–1980), sculptor; best known for his many vigorous sculptures of horses and horsemen (e.g., Horse and Rider, 1952–53)
- Arturo MartiniArturo MartiniArturo Martini was a leading Italian sculptor between World War I and II. He moved between a very vigorous classicism and modernism. He was associated with public sculpture in fascist Italy, but later renounced his medium altogether.-Futurism:Martini seems to have been an active supporter of the...
(1889–1947), sculptor who was active between the World Wars. He is known for figurative sculptures executed in a wide variety of styles and materials - MichelangeloMichelangeloMichelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni , commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet, and engineer who exerted an unparalleled influence on the development of Western art...
(1475–1564), sculptor and painter; one of the most famous artists in historyHistory of sculptureThe history of sculpture spans pre-historic and ancient civilizations to the contemporary, from the utilitarian and religious to Modernist abstraction, and conceptual manifestations of both form and content....
; his best creations are: PietàPietà (Michelangelo)The Pietà is a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture by Michelangelo Buonarroti, housed in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. It is the first of a number of works of the same theme by the artist. The statue was commissioned for the French cardinal Jean de Billheres, who was a representative in...
(1499) and DavidDavid (Michelangelo)David is a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture created between 1501 and 1504, by the Italian artist Michelangelo. It is a marble statue of a standing male nude. The statue represents the Biblical hero David, a favoured subject in the art of Florence...
(1504) - Mino da FiesoleMino da FiesoleMino da Fiesole , also known as Mino di Giovanni, was an Italian sculptor from Poppi, Tuscany. He is noted for his portrait busts.-Career:...
(c. 1429–1484), sculptor; he is noted for his portrait busts - Giovanni Angelo MontorsoliGiovanni Angelo MontorsoliGiovanni Antonio Montorsoli , also known as Fra Montorsoli, as Michele Agnolo and as Angelo di Michele d' Angelo da Poggibonsi, was an Italian sculptor.-Biography:...
(c. 1506–1563), sculptor of the Michelangelesque school, and seems to have acted as assistant to Michelangelo - Nanni di BancoNanni di BancoNanni d'Antonio di Banco was an Italian sculptor from Florence.He helped create the winning model for the Duomo of the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral in Florence , under the leadership of Filippo Brunelleschi, alongside Donatello...
(c. 1384–1421), sculptor; the classically influenced Four Crowned MartyrsFour Crowned MartyrsThe designation Four Crowned Martyrs or Four Holy Crowned Ones actually refers to 9 separate martyrs, divided into two groups:...
(c. 1415) is considered his masterpiece - Niccolò dell'Arca (c. 1435/1440–1494), sculptor. The Ragusa, Bari, and Apulia variants of his name suggest that he might have come from southern Italy
- Andrea PisanoAndrea PisanoAndrea Pisano , also known as Andrea da Pontedera, was an Italian sculptor and architect.-Biography:Andrea Pisano was born at Pontedera, where he also died....
(1290–1348), sculptor; his most important work, the first bronze doors of the Baptistery in Florence, was begun in 1330 - Giovanni PisanoGiovanni PisanoGiovanni Pisano was an Italian sculptor, painter and architect. Son of the famous sculptor Nicola Pisano, he received his training in the workshop of his father....
(c. 1250 – c. 1315), sculptor, painter and architect; his most famous work is the Pulpit of St. AndrewPulpit of St. AndrewThe pulpit in the church of Sant' Andrea, Pistoia is a masterpiece of 1301 by the Italian sculptor Giovanni Pisano, in the pieve of Sant'Andrea, Pistoia, Italy....
(1301) - Nicola PisanoNicola PisanoNicola Pisano was an Italian sculptor whose work is noted for its classical Roman sculptural style. Pisano is sometimes considered to be the founder of modern sculpture.- Early life :His birth date or origins are uncertain...
(1220/1225–1284), sometimes considered to be the founder of modern sculptureSculptureSculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals... - Arnaldo PomodoroArnaldo PomodoroArnaldo Pomodoro is an Italian sculptor. He was born on 23 June 1926, in Morciano, Romagna, Italy. He currently lives and works in Milan. His brother, Giò Pomodoro was also a sculptor....
(born 1926), sculptor; one of the most famous contemporary artists - Luca della RobbiaLuca della RobbiaLuca della Robbia was an Italian sculptor from Florence, noted for his terra-cotta roundels.Luca Della Robbia developed a pottery glaze that made his creations more durable in the outdoors and thus suitable for use on the exterior of buildings. His work is noted for its charm rather than the drama...
(1399/1400–1482), sculptor, the most famous member of a family of artists. Two of his famous works are The Nativity (c. 1460) and Madonna and Child (c. 1475) - Bernardo RossellinoBernardo RossellinoBernardo di Matteo del Borra Gamberelli , better known as Bernardo Rossellino, was an Italian sculptor and architect, the elder brother of the sculptor Antonio Rossellino...
(1409–1464), sculptor and architect. He was among the most distinguished Florentine marble sculptors in the second half of the 15th century - Giuseppe SanmartinoGiuseppe SanmartinoGiuseppe Sanmartino or Giuseppe Sammartino was an Italian sculptor during the Rococo period.Sanmartino was born in Naples. His first dated work is The Veiled Christ or Christ lying under the Shroud, commissioned initially from the Venetian sculptor Antonio Corradini who did not live to complete...
(1720–1793), sculptor; his masterpiece in this genre is the four Virtues of Charles of Bourbon (1763–4) - Andrea SansovinoAndrea SansovinoAndrea dal Monte Sansovino or Andrea Contucci del Monte San Savino was an Italian sculptor active during the High Renaissance...
(c. 1467–1529), sculptor; his statues and reliefs for church decoration, such as the Virgin and Child with St. Anne (1512) at San Agostino, were greatly admired - Pietro TorrigianoPietro TorrigianoPietro Torrigiano was an Italian sculptor of the Florentine school. According to Giorgio Vasari, he was one of the group of talented youths who studied art under the patronage of Lorenzo de' Medici in Florence....
(1472–1528), sculptor; his gilt bronze masterpiece, the tomb of King Henry VIIHenry VII of EnglandHenry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
and his queenElizabeth of YorkElizabeth of York was Queen consort of England as spouse of King Henry VII from 1486 until 1503, and mother of King Henry VIII of England....
, is preserved in Westminster AbbeyWestminster AbbeyThe Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,... - VecchiettaVecchiettaFrancesco di Giorgio e di Lorenzo , known as Vecchietta or Lorenzo di Pietro, was an Italian Sienese School painter, sculptor, goldsmith and architect of the Renaissance...
(1410–1480), painter, sculptor, goldsmith, architect and military engineer. One of the most influential artists of the early Renaissance - Alessandro VittoriaAlessandro VittoriaAlessandro Vittoria was an Italian Mannerist sculptor of the Venetian school, "one of the main representatives of the Venetian classical style" and rivalling Giambologna as the foremost sculptors of the late 16th century in Italy....
(1525–1608), sculptor. He was celebrated for his portrait busts and decorative work, much of which was created for the restoration of the Doge's Palace
Singers
|
Gigliola Cinquetti Gigliola Cinquetti is an Italian singer, TV presenter and journalist.-Biography:At the age of 16 she won the Sanremo Music Festival in 1964 singing "Non ho l'età" , with music composed by Nicola Salerno and lyrics by Mario Panzeri... Gigi d'Alessio Luigi "Gigi" D'Alessio is an Italian popular singer and Neapolitan singer-songwriter.-Career:D'Alessio was born in Naples. Well-known in Naples beginning in the early 1990s and throughout Italy due to participation in the Sanremo Festival in 2000 and 2001. He has also made overseas appearances,... Nino D'Angelo Gaetano "Nino" d'Angelo is an Italian singer. He was born in San Pietro a Patierno, a suburb of Naples. Nino had a very difficult childhood, and to help his family's poor financial condition he left the school and started working at a very young age.Thanks to Alberto Lupo he was able to enter the... Fabrizio De André Fabrizio De André was an Italian singer-songwriter.Known for his sympathies towards anarchism, libertarianism, and pacifism, he also was a convicted atheist , and his songs often featured marginalized and rebellious people, prostitutes and knaves, and attacked the Catholic Church... |
Tiziano Ferro Tiziano Ferro is an Italian pop singer. He reached notoriety in 2001 and during his career he has also sung in Spanish, English, French and Portuguese.-Childhood and early beginnings:... Irene Grandi -Biography:Irene Grandi was born in Florence.She debuted in the Sanremo Music Festival in the category New Proposed with "Fuori", in 1994, which was later won by Andrea Bocelli, who was also debuting the same year.... Francesco Guccini Francesco Guccini is an Italian singer-songwriter, considered one of the most important Cantautori. During the five decades of his music career he has recorded 16 studio albums and collections, and 6 live albums. He is also a writer, having published autobiographic and noir novels, and a comics... Luciano Ligabue Luciano Ligabue , more commonly known as Ligabue or Liga, is an Italian rock singer-songwriter, film director and writer.-Biography:... Mina (singer) Anna Maria Quaini, Grand Officer , known as Mina, is an Italian pop singer. She was a staple of Italian television variety shows and a dominant figure in Italian pop music from the mid-1960s to mid-1970s known for her three-octave vocal range, the agility of her soprano voice, and her image as an... |
Domenico Modugno Domenico Modugno was an Italian singer, songwriter, actor, and later in life, a member of the Italian Parliament. He is known for his 1958 international hit song "Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu "... Gianna Nannini Gianna Nannini is an Italian female singer-songwriter and pop musician. She may be best known for her 1986 song "Bello e Impossibile".-Personal life:... Nek Nek Minute is a popular contemporary Italian singer-songwriter.... Laura Pausini Laura Pausini, is a Grammy Award-winning Italian soul singer-songwriter. She debuted in 1993, winning the newcomer artists' section of the 43rd Sanremo Music Festival with the song "La solitudine", which became an Italian standard and an international hit, reaching the top spot on the Italian... Giuseppe Povia Giuseppe Povia is an Italian pop singer.- Biography :Born in Milan, he began teaching himself guitar at the age of 14. He taught himself how to play music by ear, and by the time he was 20, began to compose music. In 1999, he enrolled in the Academy of Sanremo, where he met Giancarlo Bigazzi... |
Eros Ramazzotti Eros Luciano Walter Ramazzotti , known simply as Eros Ramazzotti, is an Italian singer and songwriter. Ramazzotti is enormously popular in Italy, and is well known in most non-English-speaking European countries and in the Spanish-speaking world, as he has released most of his albums in both... Vasco Rossi Vasco Rossi , also known as Vasco or with the nickname Il Blasco, is an Italian singer-songwriter. During his career, he has published 25 albums and has written over 150 songs, as well as lyrics for other artists... Cristina Scabbia Cristina Adriana Chiara Scabbia is an Italian singer, best known as one of the two vocalists in the Italian gothic metal band Lacuna Coil. She also writes an advice column in the popular rock magazine Revolver, alongside musician Vinnie Paul. Scabbia is featured in a Megadeth song, "À Tout le... Spagna Spagna is an Italian singer and songwriter.-Career:She started her career singing in English and in the early 1980s she provided vocals and wrote songs for an Italo Disco duo project called Fun Fun; as well as writing songs for many other dance music projects until 1986, when she embarked on a solo... Anna Tatangelo Anna Tatangelo is an Italian pop singer, and a judge of X Factor Italy. At the age of 15, she became the youngest person to win the Newcomer's Award at the prestigious Sanremo Music Festival singing contest. She has a romantic relationship with singer Gigi D'Alessio.-Biography:Anna Tatangelo was... |
Giorgia Todrani Giorgia Todrani, best known as Giorgia is an Italian female singer and song-writer, known for her soulful voice, which is aided by a wide vocal range, high belting register and great vocal abilities. She is one of the most iconic and famous Italian singers. She has released ten studio albums,... Ornella Vanoni Ornella Vanoni, OMRI is one of the most credited pop singers of Italy. She is known for her sophisticated pop style.-Artistic career:... Antonello Venditti Antonello Venditti is an Italian singer-songwriter who became famous in the 1970s for the social themes of his songs.-Biography:... Renato Zero Renato Zero is the stage name of Renato Fiacchini , an Italian singer-songwriter and showman whose career spans a full 6 decades, from the 1960s to the 2010s.... Zucchero Adelmo Fornaciari, Commander , more commonly known by his stage name Zucchero Fornaciari or simply Zucchero /ˈtsukkero/, is an Italian rock singer. His music is largely inspired by gospel, blues and rock music, and alternates between ballads and more rhythmic boogie-like pieces.Zucchero is the... |
Castrati singers
- Antonio BernacchiAntonio BernacchiAntonio Maria Bernacchi was an Italian castrato, composer, and teacher of singing. He studied with Francesco Antonio Pistocchi. His pupils included Farinelli, for a brief period during 1727, and the tenor Anton Raaff...
(1685–1756), contralto castrato. Renowned for his technical virtuosity, he sang in operas throughout Italy and also abroad, notably at Munich and for HandelHANDELHANDEL was the code-name for the UK's National Attack Warning System in the Cold War. It consisted of a small console consisting of two microphones, lights and gauges. The reason behind this was to provide a back-up if anything failed....
in London - Caffarelli (1710–1783), contralto castrato. A pupil of Nicola PorporaNicola PorporaNicola Porpora was an Italian composer of Baroque operas and teacher of singing, whose most famous singing student was the castrato Farinelli. One of his other students was composer Matteo Capranica.-Biography:Porpora was born in Naples...
; he sang for Handel in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, in 1738, creating the title roles in FaramondoFaramondoFaramondo is an opera in three acts by George Frideric Handel to an Italian text adapted from Apostolo Zeno's Faramondo.-Performance history:...
and SerseSerseSerse is an opera seria in three acts by George Frideric Handel. It was first performed in London on 15 April 1738. The Italian libretto was adapted by an unknown hand from that by Silvio Stampiglia for an earlier opera of the same name by Giovanni Bononcini in 1694... - Giovanni CarestiniGiovanni CarestiniGiovanni Carestini was an Italian castrato of the 18th century, who sang in the operas and oratorios of George Frideric Handel...
(c. 1704 – c. 1760), contralto castrato, one of the foremost of his time. Début RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
1721 - Girolamo CrescentiniGirolamo CrescentiniGirolamo Crescentini was a noted Italian singer castrato , a singing teacher and a composer.-Biography:He studied in Bologna with the noted teacher Lorenzo Gibelli and made his debut in 1783, quite advanced in years as a castrato...
(1762–1846), mezzo-soprano castrato. His repertory being chiefly operas by ZingarelliNiccolò Antonio ZingarelliNiccolò Antonio Zingarelli was an Italian composer, chiefly of opera.-Early career:Zingarelli was born in Naples, where he studied at the Santa Maria di Loreto Conservatory under Fenaroli and Speranza....
, CimarosaDomenico CimarosaDomenico Cimarosa was an Italian opera composer of the Neapolitan school...
and GazzanigaGiuseppe GazzanigaGiuseppe Gazzaniga was a member of the Neapolitan school of opera composers. He composed fifty-one operas and is considered to be one of the last Italian opera buffa composers.-Biography:... - FarinelliFarinelliFarinelli , was the stage name of Carlo Maria Broschi, celebrated Italian castrato singer of the 18th century and one of the greatest singers in the history of opera.- Early years :...
(1705–1782), soprano, greatest of the castrati. Renowned for his vocal power and remarkable agility, one of the greatest singers in the history of operaOperaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance... - Nicolò Grimaldi (1673–1732), mezzo-soprano castrato who is best remembered today for his association with the composer George Frideric Handel, in two of whose early operas he sang
- Giovanni Francesco GrossiGiovanni Francesco GrossiGiovanni Francesco Grossi , one of the greatest Italian singers of the age of bel canto, better known as Siface, was born at Pescia in Tuscany....
(1653–1697), soprano castrato. He sang Siface in CavalliFrancesco CavalliFrancesco Cavalli was an Italian composer of the early Baroque period. His real name was Pietro Francesco Caletti-Bruni, but he is better known by that of Cavalli, the name of his patron Federico Cavalli, a Venetian nobleman.-Life:Cavalli was born at Crema, Lombardy...
's Scipione affricanoScipione affricanoScipione affricano is an opera in a prologue and three acts by Francesco Cavalli. It was designated as a dramma per musica. The Italian libretto was by Nicolò Minato.-Performance history:...
(1671) and was thereafter always known by that name - Alessandro MoreschiAlessandro MoreschiAlessandro Moreschi was the most famous castrato singer of the late 19th century, and the only castrato of the classic bel canto tradition to make solo sound recordings.-Life:...
(1858–1922), soprano castrato. The most famous of the late 19th century; known as angel of Rome " because of vocal purity - Gaspare PacchierottiGaspare PacchierottiGaspare Pacchierotti was a great mezzo-soprano castrato, and one of the most famous singers of his time.-Training and first appearances:...
(1740–1821), mezzo-soprano castrato, and one of the most famous singers of his time - SenesinoSenesinoSenesino was a celebrated Italian contralto castrato, particularly remembered today for his long collaboration with the composer George Frideric Handel.-Early life and career:...
(1686–1758), contralto castrato; renowned for his power and his skill in both coloraturaColoraturaColoratura has several meanings. The word is originally from Italian, literally meaning "coloring", and derives from the Latin word colorare . When used in English, the term specifically refers to elaborate melody, particularly in vocal music and especially in operatic singing of the 18th and...
and expressive singing - Giovanni Velluti (1780–1861), soprano. The last of the great castrate singers
Sopranos
- Gemma BellincioniGemma BellincioniGemma Bellincioni was an Italian soprano and one of the best-known opera singers of the late 19th century. She had a particular affinity with the verismo repertoire and was renowned more for her charismatic acting than for the quality of her voice.-Her career:Matilda Cesira was Bellincioni's real...
(1864–1950), soprano; one of the best-known opera singers of the late 19th century - Maria CanigliaMaria CanigliaMaria Caniglia was one of the leading Italian dramatic sopranos of the 1930s and 1940s.- Life and career :...
(1905–1979), soprano; one of the leading Italian dramatic sopranos of the 1930s and 1940s - Mirella FreniMirella FreniMirella Freni, birth name Mirella Fregni, is an Italian opera soprano whose repertoire includes Verdi, Puccini, Mozart and Tchaikovsky...
(born 1935), soprano; one of the dominant figures on the opera scene; she has since performed at many venues, including MilanMilanMilan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and SalzburgSalzburg-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for... - Amelita Galli-CurciAmelita Galli-CurciAmelita Galli-Curci was an Italian operatic soprano. She was one of the best-known coloratura singers of the early 20th century with her gramophone records selling in large numbers.-Early life:...
(1882–1963), coloratura soprano; one of the best regarded singers of the early 20th century - Giulia GrisiGiulia GrisiGiulia Grisi, also known as Madame De Candia was an Italian opera singer...
(1811–1869), operatic soprano whose brilliant dramatic voice established her as an operatic prima donna for more than 30 years - Claudia MuzioClaudia MuzioClaudia Muzio was an Italian operatic soprano, whose international career was among the most successful of the early 20th century.-Early years:...
(1889–1936), operatic soprano, whose international career was among the most successful of the early 20th century. She brought drama and pathos to all her roles - Giuditta PastaGiuditta PastaGiuditta Angiola Maria Costanza Pasta , born in Saronno, Italy, was a soprano considered among the greatest of opera singers, to whom the 20th-century soprano Maria Callas was compared.-Studies and career:...
(1797–1865), soprano. She was famed for her roles in the operas of Rossini, BelliniVincenzo BelliniVincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini was an Italian opera composer. His greatest works are I Capuleti ed i Montecchi , La sonnambula , Norma , Beatrice di Tenda , and I puritani...
and Donizetti; acclaimed for her vocal range and expressiveness - Adelina PattiAdelina PattiAdelina Patti was a highly acclaimed 19th-century opera singer, earning huge fees at the height of her career in the music capitals of Europe and America. She first sang in public as a child in 1851 and gave her last performance before an audience in 1914...
(1843–1919), soprano; one of the great coloratura singers of the 19th century - Renata ScottoRenata ScottoRenata Scotto is an Italian soprano and opera director.Recognized for her sense of style, musicality and as a remarkable singer-actress, Scotto is considered one of the preeminent singers of her generation, specializing in the bel canto repertoire with excursions into the verismo and Verdi...
(born 1934), soprano and opera director; considered one of the preeminent singers of her generation, specializing in the bel cantoBel cantoBel canto , along with a number of similar constructions , is an Italian opera term...
repertoire - Renata TebaldiRenata TebaldiRenata Tebaldi was an Italian lirico-spinto soprano popular in the post-war period...
(1922–2004), lyric soprano; one of the most acclaimed members of the Metropolitan Opera company from 1955 to 1973, and retired from singing in 1976 - Luisa TetrazziniLuisa TetrazziniLuisa Tetrazzini was an Italian coloratura soprano of great international fame.Tetrazzini's voice was remarkable for its phenomenal flexibility, thrust, steadiness and thrilling tone...
(1871–1940), coloratura soprano; one of the finest of her time
Mezzo-sopranos
- Cecilia BartoliCecilia BartoliCecilia Bartoli is an Italian coloratura mezzo-soprano opera singer and recitalist. She is best-known for her interpretation of the music of Mozart and Rossini, as well as for her performances of lesser-known Baroque and classical music...
(born 1966), operatic mezzo-soprano who achieved global stardom with her outstanding vocal skills - Faustina BordoniFaustina BordoniFaustina Bordoni was an Italian mezzo-soprano.-Early career:She was born in Venice and brought up under the protection of the aristocratic brother composers Alessandro and Benedetto Marcello. Her singing teacher was another composer, Michelangelo Gasparini...
(1697–1781), mezzo-soprano; known for her beauty and acting as well as her vocal range and breath control - Fiorenza CossottoFiorenza CossottoFiorenza Cossotto is an Italian mezzo soprano. She is considered by many to be one of the great mezzo-sopranos of the 20th century.-Life and career:...
(born 1935), mezzo-soprano; she is considered by many to be one of the great mezzo-sopranos of the 20th century - Giulietta SimionatoGiulietta SimionatoGiulietta Simionato was an Italian mezzo-soprano. Her career spanned from the 1930s until her retirement in 1966.-Life:Born at Forlì, Romagna, she studied in Rovigo and Padua, and made her operatic debut at Montagnana in 1928...
(1910–2010), mezzo-soprano who excelled at bel cantoBel cantoBel canto , along with a number of similar constructions , is an Italian opera term...
and lighter operas by Rossini and Mozart - Ebe StignaniEbe StignaniEbe Stignani was an Italian opera singer, who was pre-eminent in the dramatic mezzo-soprano roles of the Italian repertoire during a stage career of more than thirty years.-Career:...
(1903 or 1904–1974), mezzo-soprano; member of the ScalaLa ScalaLa Scala , is a world renowned opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the New Royal-Ducal Theatre at La Scala...
ensemble and was regarded as its leading exponent of dramatic contralto and mezzo roles
Contraltos
- Marietta AlboniMarietta AlboniMarietta Alboni was a renowned Italian contralto opera singer. Together with the charismatic Maria Malibran, she was considered the greatest deeper-voiced female singer of the nineteenth century.-Biography:...
(1823–1894), operatic contralto known for her classic Italian bel canto; considered the greatest contralto of the 19th century - Clorinda CorradiClorinda CorradiClorinda Corradi was an Italian opera singer and one of the most famous contraltos in history.-Life:...
(1804–1877), opera singer; one of the most famous contraltoContraltoContralto is the deepest female classical singing voice, with the lowest tessitura, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. It typically ranges between the F below middle C to the second G above middle C , although at the extremes some voices can reach the E below middle C or the second B above...
s in history - Giuseppina GrassiniGiuseppina GrassiniGiuseppina Maria Camilla Grassini was a noted Italian contralto, and a singing teacher...
(1773–1850), noted Italian contralto and a singing teacher
Tenors
- Carlo BergonziCarlo BergonziCarlo Bergonzi is an Italian operatic tenor. Although he performed and recorded some bel canto and verismo roles, he is above all associated with the operas of Giuseppe Verdi, including a large number of the composer's lesser-known works that he helped revive...
(born 1924), operatic tenor; from 1956 to 1983, his beautiful voice was a fixture in the 19th-century Italian and French repertoire at the Metropolitan OperaMetropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager... - Andrea BocelliAndrea BocelliAndrea Bocelli, is an Italian tenor, multi-instrumentalist and classical crossover artist. Born with poor eyesight, he became blind at the age of twelve following a soccer accident....
(born 1958), opera tenor noted for his unique blend of opera and pop musicPop musicPop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop... - Enrico Caruso (1873–1921), operatic tenor; the natural beauty, range, and power of his voice made him one of the greatest singers in the history of operaOperaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
- Franco CorelliFranco CorelliFranco Corelli was a famous Italian tenor who had a major international opera career between 1951 and 1976. Associated in particular with the spinto and dramatic tenor roles of the Italian repertory, he was celebrated universally for his powerhouse voice, electrifying top notes, clear timbre, a...
(1921–2003), tenor; powerful voice and passionate singing style; had a major international opera career between 1951 and 1976 - Fernando De LuciaFernando De LuciaFernando De Lucia was an Italian opera tenor and singing teacher who enjoyed an international career....
(1860 or 1861–1925), opera tenor and singing teacher who enjoyed an international career - Mario del MonacoMario del MonacoMario Del Monaco was an Italian tenor who is regarded by his admirers as being one of the greatest dramatic tenors of the 20th century....
(1915–1982), tenor; one of the greatest dramatic tenors of the 20th century - Giuseppe Di StefanoGiuseppe Di StefanoGiuseppe Di Stefano was an Italian operatic tenor who sang professionally from the late 1940s until the early 1990s. He was known as the "Golden voice" or "The most beautiful voice", as the true successor of Beniamino Gigli...
(1921–2008), lyric tenor who was hailed as one of the finest operatic tenors of his generation - Beniamino GigliBeniamino GigliBeniamino Gigli was an Italian opera singer. The most famous tenor of his generation, he was renowned internationally for the great beauty of his voice and the soundness of his vocal technique. Music critics sometimes took him to task, however, for what was perceived to be the over-emotionalism...
(1890–1957), operatic tenor. The most famous tenor of his generation; was a leading in French and Italian operas from 1920 to 1932 - Giacomo Lauri-VolpiGiacomo Lauri-VolpiGiacomo Lauri-Volpi was an Italian tenor with a lyric-dramatic voice of exceptional range and technical facility. He performed throughout Europe and the Americas in a top-class career that spanned 40 years....
(1892–1979), lyric-dramatic tenor; he performed throughout Europe and the Americas in a top-class career that spanned 40 years - Giovanni MartinelliGiovanni MartinelliGiovanni Martinelli was a celebrated Italian operatic tenor. He was particularly associated with the Italian lyric-dramatic repertory, although he performed French operatic roles to great acclaim as well...
(1885–1969), operatic tenor; his repertoire of about 50 roles included the leading tenor roles in nearly all the principal Italian operas - Luciano PavarottiLuciano Pavarottiright|thumb|Luciano Pavarotti performing at the opening of the Constantine Palace in [[Strelna]], 31 May 2003. The concert was part of the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of [[St...
(1935–2007), lyric tenor; was considered by many critics as the greatest lyric tenor of his time - Aureliano PertileAureliano PertileAureliano Pertile was an Italian lyric-dramatic tenor. He is considered to have been one of the most exciting operatic artists of the inter-war period, and one of the most important tenors of the entire 20th century.- Life and career :Pertile was born in Montagnana, Northern Italy, 18 days after...
(1885–1952), lyric-dramatic tenor; one of the most important of the entire 20th century - Gianni RaimondiGianni RaimondiGianni Raimondi was an Italian lyric tenor, particularly associated with the Italian repertory.Born in Bologna, Raimondi studied at the Music Conservatory of his native city with Antonio Melandri, and Gennaro Barra-Caracciolo and in Mantua with Ettore Campogalliani...
(1923–2008), lyric tenor, particularly associated with the Italian repertory - Giovanni Battista RubiniGiovanni Battista RubiniGiovanni Battista Rubini was an Italian tenor, as famous in his time as Enrico Caruso in a later day. His ringing and expressive coloratura dexterity in the highest register of his voice, the tenorino, inspired the writing of operatic roles which today are almost impossible to cast...
(1794–1854), tenor; he was one of the best interpreters of opera roles, particularly heroic ones - Tito SchipaTito SchipaTito Schipa was an Italian tenor. He is considered one of the finest tenori di grazia in operatic history...
(1888–1965), operatic tenor; he is considered one of the finest tenore di graziaTenore di graziaLeggiero Tenor, also called tenor leggiero or tenore di grazia, is a lightweight, flexible tenor type of voice. The tenor roles written in the early 19th century Italian operas are invariably leggiero tenor roles, especially those by Rossini such as Lindoro in L'italiana in Algeri, Don Ramiro in La...
in operatic history - Francesco TamagnoFrancesco TamagnoFrancesco Tamagno was an operatic tenor from Italy who sang with enormous success throughout Europe and America. On 5 February 1887, he cemented his place in musical history by creating the role of Otello in Giuseppe Verdi's masterpiece of the same name...
(1850–1905), tenor; he became famous for his performances in the title roles of Verdi’s OtelloOtelloOtello is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on Shakespeare's play Othello. It was Verdi's penultimate opera, and was first performed at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan, on February 5, 1887....
and Don CarlosDon CarlosDon Carlos is a five-act grand opera composed by Giuseppe Verdi to a French language libretto by Camille du Locle and Joseph Méry, based on the dramatic play Don Carlos, Infant von Spanien by Friedrich Schiller...
Baritones
- Pasquale AmatoPasquale AmatoPasquale Amato was an outstanding Italian operatic baritone. Amato enjoyed an international reputation but attained the peak of his fame in New York City, where he sang with the Metropolitan Opera from 1908 until 1921....
(1878–1942), operatic baritone; from 1908 to 1921 he sang leading baritone roles at the Metropolitan OperaMetropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager... - Ettore BastianiniEttore BastianiniEttore Bastianini was an Italian opera singer who was particularly associated with the operas of Verdi. He had a prolific international career between 1945 and 1965 which was cut short by throat cancer. He began his professional career as a bass working in opera houses throughout Italy and in...
(1922–1967), operatic baritone; was particularly associated with the operas of Verdi - Mattia BattistiniMattia BattistiniMattia Battistini was an Italian operatic baritone. He became internationally famous due to the beauty of his voice and the virtuosity of his singing technique, and he earned the sobriquet "King of Baritones".-Early life:...
(1856–1928), operatic baritone; a great master of bel cantoBel cantoBel canto , along with a number of similar constructions , is an Italian opera term... - Renato BrusonRenato BrusonRenato Bruson is an Italian operatic baritone. Bruson is widely considered one of the most important Verdi baritones of the late 20th and early 21st century. He was born in Granze near Padua, Italy.-Biography and career:...
(born 1934), operatic baritone; one of the most important Verdi baritones of the late 20th and early 21st century - Piero CappuccilliPiero CappuccilliPiero Cappuccilli was an Italian operatic baritone, particularly associated with Verdi roles, especiallyMacbeth and Simon Boccanegra; he was renowned for his extraordinary breath control and smooth legato, and is widely regarded as one of the finest Italian baritones of the second half of the 20th...
(1926–2005), operatic baritone; enjoyed a 35-year career during which he was widely regarded as the leading Italian baritone of his generation - Antonio CotogniAntonio CotogniAntonio Cotogni was an Italian baritone of the first magnitude. Regarded internationally as being one of the greatest male opera singers of the 19th century, he was particularly admired by the composer Giuseppe Verdi...
(1831–1918), baritone of the first magnitude; regarded internationally as being one of the greatest male operaOperaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
singers of the 19th century - Giuseppe De LucaGiuseppe de LucaGiuseppe De Luca , was a famous Italian baritone who achieved his greatest triumphs at the New York Metropolitan Opera...
(1876–1950), famous baritone who achieved his greatest triumphs at the New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Metropolitan OperaMetropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager... - Tito GobbiTito GobbiTito Gobbi was an Italian operatic baritone with an international reputation.-Biography:Tito Gobbi was born in Bassano del Grappa and studied law at the University of Padua before he trained as a singer. Giulio Crimi, a well-known Italian tenor of a previous generation, was Gobbi's teacher in Rome...
(1913–1984), operatic baritone; he sang in most of the great opera houses and was acclaimed for his acting ability - Rolando PaneraiRolando PaneraiRolando Panerai Italian baritone, particularly associated with the Italian repertory, he enjoyed a long and distinguished career in both comic and dramatic roles.Rolando Panerai was born in Campi Bisenzio, near Florence, Italy....
(born 1924), baritone; début Florence (1946) with Lucia di LammermoorLucia di LammermoorLucia di Lammermoor is a dramma tragico in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti. Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian language libretto loosely based upon Sir Walter Scott's historical novel The Bride of Lammermoor.... - Giorgio RonconiGiorgio RonconiGiorgio Ronconi was an Italian operatic baritone celebrated for his brilliant acting and compelling stage presence. In 1842, he created the title-role in Giuseppe Verdi's Nabucco at La Scala, Milan.-Career:...
(1810–1890), operatic baritone; one of the most popular artists on the lyric stage until his retirement in 1866 - Titta RuffoTitta RuffoTitta Ruffo , born as Ruffo Titta Cafiero, was an Italian opera star who had a major international singing career. Known as the "Voce del leone" , he was greatly admired, even by rival baritones, such as Giuseppe De Luca, who said of Ruffo: "His was not a voice, it was a miracle" Titta Ruffo (9...
(1877–1953), baritone; was considered by many critics as the greatest in the history of operaOperaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance... - Giuseppe TaddeiGiuseppe TaddeiGiuseppe Taddei was an Italian baritone, who performed mostly the operas of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Giuseppe Verdi....
(1916–2010), baritone; he has performed more than 100 operatic roles over six decades
Basses
- Salvatore BaccaloniSalvatore BaccaloniSalvatore Baccaloni was an Italian operatic bass, often regarded as the greatest buffo artist of the 20th century.- Life and career :Baccaloni was born in Rome...
(1900–1969), operatic bass; known for his large repertory, he sang nearly 170 roles in five languages - Sesto BruscantiniSesto BruscantiniSesto Bruscantini was an Italian baritone, one of the greatest buffo singers of the post-war era, especially renowned in Mozart and Rossini....
(1919–2003), bass-baritone; one of the greatest buffo singers of the post-war era - Enzo DaraEnzo DaraEnzo Dara is an Italian basso buffo. Among his most famous roles were Don Bartolo in The Barber of Seville and the title character in Don Pasquale.-References:. The source given there was:...
(born 1938), bass buffo; one of the foremost performers of his generation - Nazzareno De AngelisNazzareno De AngelisNazzareno De Angelis was an Italian operatic bass, particularly associated with Verdi, Rossini and Wagner roles.-Career:...
(1881–1962), operatic bass, particularly associated with Verdi, Rossini and Wagner roles - Ferruccio FurlanettoFerruccio FurlanettoFerruccio Furlanetto is an Italian bass. His professional debut was in 1979 at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, in a production of Verdi's Macbeth, conducted by Claudio Abbado...
(born 1949), buss; known as a brilliant interpreter in the Italian repertoire and as a Mozart-singer - Luigi LablacheLuigi LablacheLuigi Lablache was an Italian opera singer of French and Irish heritage. He was most noted for his comic performances, possessing a powerful and agile bass voice, a wide range, and adroit acting skills: Leporello in Don Giovanni was one of his signature roles.-Biography:Luigi Lablache was born in...
(1794–1858), peratic bass admired for his musicianship and acting - Tancredi PaseroTancredi PaseroTancredi Pasero was an Italian bass who enjoyed a long and distinguished singing career in his native country and abroad.-Career & recordings:...
(1893–1983), bass. Particularly associated with the Italian repertory - Ezio PinzaEzio PinzaEzio Pinza was an Italian basso opera singer with a rich, smooth and sonorous voice. He spent 22 seasons at New York's Metropolitan Opera, appearing in more than 750 performances of 50 operas...
(1892–1957), operatic performer who was the leading basso at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City (1926–1948) - Cesare SiepiCesare SiepiCesare Siepi was an Italian opera singer, generally considered to have been one of the finest basses of the post-war period. His voice was characterised by a deep, warm timbre, and a ringing, vibrant upper register. On stage, his tall, striking presence and elegance of phrasing made him a natural...
(1923–2010), bass singer who won over audiences worldwide in signature roles such as Don Giovanni and Figaro in The Marriage of FigaroThe Marriage of FigaroLe nozze di Figaro, ossia la folle giornata , K. 492, is an opera buffa composed in 1786 in four acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, based on a stage comedy by Pierre Beaumarchais, La folle journée, ou le Mariage de Figaro .Although the play by...
Sportspeople
- Giacomo AgostiniGiacomo Agostini-Non-riding career:Like John Surtees and Mike Hailwood before him, Agostini raced in Formula One cars. He competed in non-championship Formula One races in 1978. He competed in the European Formula 2 series in a Chevron B42-BMW and British Aurora Formula 1 with his own team and a Williams FW06...
(born 1942), motorcycle racer. He is considered the greatest Grand Prix rider of all time - Alberto AscariAlberto AscariAlberto Ascari was an Italian racing driver and twice Formula One World Champion. He is one of only two Italian Formula One World Champions in the history of the sport, and the only one winning his two championships in a Ferrari....
(1918–1955), automobile racing driver who was world champion driver in 1952 and 1953 - Roberto BaggioRoberto BaggioRoberto Baggio is a retired Italian footballer. Widely regarded as one of the finest footballers of his generation, Baggio won both the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1993. He is the only Italian player ever to score in three World Cups. He is also one of the top 5 all-time...
(born 1967), footballer. The best Italian soccer player ever - Franco BaresiFranco BaresiFranco Baresi is an Italian football youth team coach and former player. He played as a sweeper and spent his entire career with Serie A club AC Milan, acknowledged as one of the greatest defenders ever to play the game. Baresi was nicknamed "Piscinin", Milanese for "Little one"...
(born 1960), footballer. One of the greatest defenders ever to play the game - Andrea BargnaniAndrea BargnaniAndrea Bargnani , nicknamed "Il Mago" , is an Italian professional basketball player with the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association. He was selected first overall in the 2006 NBA Draft. He is a power forward/center standing at 213 cm and weighing 113.4 kg...
(born 1985), basketball player with the Toronto RaptorsToronto RaptorsThe Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
of the National Basketball AssociationNational Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada... - Gino BartaliGino BartaliGino Bartali, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was the most renowned Italian cyclist before the Second World War, having won the Giro d'Italia twice and the Tour de France in 1938...
(1914–2000), cyclist, won the Giro d'ItaliaGiro d'ItaliaThe Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
twice (in 1936 and 1937) and the Tour de FranceTour de FranceThe Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
in 1938 - Stefania BelmondoStefania BelmondoStefania Belmondo is an Italian former cross-country skier.-Debut:Belmondo was born in Vinadio, in the province of Cuneo , the daughter of a housewife and an electric company employee....
(born 1969), 10-time Olympic medalist in cross-country skiing - Lorenzo BernardiLorenzo BernardiLorenzo Bernardi is an Italian volleyball player who was twice World champion with his national team in 1990 and 1994, and was elected "Volleyball Player of the Century" in 2001.-Career:...
(born 1968), volleyball player. He was elected "Volleyball Player of the Century" in 2001 - Paolo BettiniPaolo BettiniPaolo Bettini is an Italian former champion road racing cyclist, and the coach of the Italian national cycling team. Considered the best classics specialist of his generation, and probably one of the strongest of all times, he won gold medals in the 2004 Athens Olympics road race and in the 2006...
(born 1974), road racing cyclist. Considered the best classics specialistClassic cycle racesThe classic cycle races are one-day professional cycling road races in the international calendar. Most of the events, all run in western Europe, have been fixtures on the professional calendar for decades and the oldest ones date back to the 19th Century. They are normally held at roughly the same...
of his generation, and probably one of the strongest of all times - Gianluigi BuffonGianluigi BuffonGianluigi "Gigi" Buffon, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Serie A club Juventus and the Italian national team. He has won the FIFA World Cup and is widely considered by fans and experts to be one of most dominant and successful goalkeepers in history...
(born 1978), footballer who plays as a goalkeeper. One of most dominant and successful goalkeepers in history - Fabio CannavaroFabio CannavaroFabio Cannavaro, Ufficiale OMRI is a former Italian footballer considered one of the greatest defenders of all time and was given the name "Muro di Berlino" which means The Berlin wall by Italian supporters. He spent the majority of his career in Italy...
(born 1973), footballer who plays as a centre back. He won the FIFA World Player of the YearFIFA World Player of the YearThe FIFA World Player of the Year was an association football award given annually to the male and female player who were thought to be the best in the world, based on votes by coaches and captains of international teams...
award in 2006 - Primo CarneraPrimo CarneraPrimo Carnera was an Italian boxer, nicknamed the Ambling Alp, who became the world heavyweight champion.-Biography:...
(1906–1967), heavyweight boxing champion of the world - Jury ChechiJury ChechiJury Dimitri Chechi Commendatore OMRI is a retired Italian gymnast.-Biography:Born in Prato , he won the Olympics title in the rings at Atlanta 1996 and was third at Athens 2004...
(born 1969), one of Italy's most famous gymnasts - Pierluigi CollinaPierluigi CollinaPierluigi Collina is a former Italian football referee. He is still involved in football as non-paid consultant to the Italian Football Referees Association , and is a member of the UEFA Referees Committee...
(born 1960), football referee. He is regarded as the best referee of all time - Deborah CompagnoniDeborah CompagnoniDeborah Compagnoni is an Italian former Alpine skier who won three gold medals at the 1992, 1994 and 1998 Winter Olympics.-Career:Deborah Compagnoni was born in Bormio, northern Lombardy....
(born 1970), alpine skier who won three gold medals at the 19921992 Winter OlympicsThe 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 8 to 23 February 1992 in Albertville, France. They were the last Winter Olympics to be held the same year as the Summer Olympics, and the first where the Winter Paralympics...
, 19941994 Winter OlympicsThe 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat...
and 1998 Winter Olympics1998 Winter OlympicsThe 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice... - Fausto CoppiFausto CoppiAngelo Fausto Coppi, , was the dominant international cyclist of the years each side of the Second World War. His successes earned him the title Il Campionissimo, or champion of champions...
(1919–1960), cyclist. His successes earned him the title Il Campionissimo, or champion of champions - Umberto De MorpurgoUmberto De MorpurgoBaron Umberto Louis De Morpurgo was a male tennis player from Italy.De Morpurgo was born in Trieste when it was part of Austria, but became an Italian citizen when the city changed hands after World War I. He was ranked in the World’s Top 10 1928-30 —- 9th in 1928, 10th in 1929, and 8th in 1930...
(1896–1961), tennis player, highest world ranking # 8, Olympic bronze (singles) - Alessandro Del PieroAlessandro Del PieroAlessandro Del Piero Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Serie A club Juventus, of which he is also club captain....
(born 1974), footballer. He is regarded as one of the best footballers of his generation - Frankie DettoriFrankie DettoriLanfranco "Frankie" Dettori, MBE is an Italian horse racing jockey and celebrity. Dettori has been Champion Jockey on three occasions and has ridden the winners of more than 500 Group races.. He has had many successes in his role of stable jockey to Godolphin Racing...
(born 1970), probably the best-known jockey in the world - Giuseppe FarinaGiuseppe FarinaEmilio Giuseppe "Nino" Farina was an Italian racing driver. He stands out in the history of Grand Prix motor racing for his much copied 'straight-arm' driving style and his status as the first ever Formula One World Champion.-Biography:Born in Turin, Italy and nicknamed "Nino", Farina was a doctor...
(1906–1966), racing driver. The first ever Formula OneFormula OneFormula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
World Champion - Enzo FerrariEnzo FerrariEnzo Anselmo Ferrari Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian race car driver and entrepreneur, the founder of the Scuderia Ferrari Grand Prix motor racing team, and subsequently of the Ferrari car manufacturer...
(1898–1988), race car driver and entrepreneur, the founder of the Scuderia FerrariScuderia FerrariScuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....
Grand Prix motor racingGrand Prix motor racingGrand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver...
team - Christof InnerhoferChristof InnerhoferChristof Innerhofer is a World Cup alpine ski racer from Italy. He skis in all five alpine disciplines and specializes in the speed events of downhill and super-G.Innerhofer lives in Gais, South Tyrol...
(born 1984), alpine skier, won the men's Super-GSuper Giant Slalom skiingThe Super Giant Slalom is an Alpine skiing discipline. It is usually referred to as Super G and is a "speed" event, along with the faster Downhill event; the Giant Slalom and Slalom events are known as the "technical" disciplines.-History:...
at the world Alpine championships in Garmisch-PartenkirchenGarmisch-PartenkirchenGarmisch-Partenkirchen is a mountain resort town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Oberbayern region, and the district is on the border with Austria...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... - Paolo MaldiniPaolo MaldiniPaolo Cesare Maldini is an Italian former footballer who played as a left or central defender. He spent all 25 seasons of his career at Serie A club Milan, before retiring at the age of 41 in 2009, becoming a symbol and a legend of the club...
(born 1968), footballer who played as a centre back. One of the great defenders of all time - Giuseppe MeazzaGiuseppe MeazzaGiuseppe "Peppino" Meazza , also known as il Balilla, was an Italian footballer playing mainly for Internazionale in the 1930s, scoring 242 goals in 365 games for the club. He led Italy to win two World Cups: in 1934 and in 1938, winning the Golden Ball Award in 1934. He is widely considered the...
(1910–1979), footballer. He is widely considered the best player of his generation, and one of the greatest of all time - Dino MeneghinDino MeneghinDino Meneghin is an Italian former professional basketball player. He is widely considered as the best Italian player ever, as well as one of Europe's all time greats. A 2.06 m tall center, Meneghin was born in Alano di Piave, Veneto...
(born 1950), basketball player. He was considered the best player of his country - Pietro MenneaPietro MenneaPietro Paolo Mennea is an Italian former sprinter and politician, who was the 1980 Moscow Olympic 200 meter Champion, and also held the 200 m world record for 17 years.-Biography:...
(born 1952), sprinter and politician who was the 1980 Moscow Olympic 200 meter Champion, and also held the 200 m world recordWorld recordA world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
for 17 years - Reinhold MessnerReinhold MessnerReinhold Messner is an Italian mountaineer and explorer from Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol "whose astonishing feats on Everest and on peaks throughout the world have earned him the status of the greatest climber in history." He is renowned for making the first solo ascent of Mount Everest without...
(born 1944), mountaineer and explorer. The greatest climberClimbingClimbing is the activity of using one's hands and feet to ascend a steep object. It is done both for recreation and professionally, as part of activities such as maintenance of a structure, or military operations.Climbing activities include:* Bouldering: Ascending boulders or small...
in history - Carlton MyersCarlton MyersCarlton Ettore Francesco Myers is a retired Italian basketball player that played in the Italian league and the Euroleague...
(born 1971), basketball player - Alessandro NestaAlessandro NestaAlessandro Nesta, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays as a defender for Serie A club Milan. Considered by many as one of the best centre backs to have ever played the game, he is a four-time member of the annual UEFA Team of the Year.-Early life:Nesta was raised in...
(born 1976), footballer who plays as a defender. Considered by many as one of the best centre backs to have ever played the game - Tazio NuvolariTazio NuvolariTazio Giorgio Nuvolari was an Italian motorcycle and racecar driver, known as Il Mantovano Volante or Nivola. He was the 1932 European Champion in Grand Prix motor racing...
(1892–1953), motorcycle and racecar driver. Regarded as one of the greatest drivers of all times - Marco PantaniMarco PantaniMarco Pantani was an Italian road racing cyclist, widely considered one of the best climbers in professional road bicycle racing...
(1970–2004), cyclist, won both the Tour de FranceTour de FranceThe Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
, cycling’s premier road race, and the Giro d’Italia in 1998 - Umberto PelizzariUmberto PelizzariUmberto Pelizzari is an Italian freediver, widely considered among the best of all times. Of his era, he is the sole to have established world records in all the then existing disciplines of freediving.- Early life :...
(born 1965), freediver, widely considered among the best of all times - Gianmarco PozzeccoGianmarco PozzeccoGianmarco Pozzecco is a retired Italian basketball player, an all-around offensive talent. He won, for seven years, the ranking for the top assistmen in Italian League.- Career :...
(born 1972), basketball player, an all-around offensive talent. He won, for seven years, the ranking for the top assistmen in Italian League - Costantino RoccaCostantino RoccaCostantino Rocca is the most successful male golfer that Italy has produced. After a long career on the European Tour he is now playing on the European Seniors Tour. He has five European Tour wins and is best known for his second place finish in the 1995 Open Championship.-Career outline:Rocca...
(born 1956), the most successful male golfer that Italy has produced - Antonio RossiAntonio RossiAntonio Rossi is an Italian sprint canoer who has competed since the early 1990s. Competing in five Summer Olympics, he won five medals which included three golds , one silver , and one bronze .Rossi has also been successful at the ICF Canoe Sprint World...
(born 1968), sprint canoer who has competed since the early 1990s - Paolo RossiPaolo RossiPaolo Rossi is an Italian former football striker. In 1982, he led Italy to the 1982 FIFA World Cup title, scoring six goals to win the Golden Boot/top scorer honors, and the Golden Ball. After his performance at the 1982 FIFA World Cup he became a hero in the hearts of all Italians...
(born 1956), footballer. He is listed among Pelé's 125 all-time greatest footballers - Valentino RossiValentino RossiValentino Rossi, , is an Italian professional motorcycle racer and multiple MotoGP World Champion. He is one of the most successful motorcycle racers of all time, with nine Grand Prix World Championships to his name – seven of which are in the premier class.Following his father, Graziano Rossi,...
(born 1979), motorcycle racer. He is one of the most successful motorcycle racers of all time - Sara SimeoniSara SimeoniSara Simeoni is an Italian former high jumper, who won a gold medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics and twice set a world record in the women's high jump.-Biography:...
(born 1953), high jumper, who won a gold medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics1980 Summer OlympicsThe 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...
and twice set a world record in the women's high jump - Alberto TombaAlberto TombaAlberto Tomba is an Italian retired alpine ski racer. He was the dominant technical skier in the late 1980s and 1990s. Tomba won three Olympic gold medals, two World Championships, and nine World Cup season titles; four in slalom, four in giant slalom, and one overall title...
(born 1966), alpine ski racer. He was the dominant technical skier (slalomSlalom skiingSlalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :...
and giant slalom) in the late 1980s and 1990s - Francesco TottiFrancesco TottiFrancesco Totti, Ufficiale OMRI, is an Italian footballer who is the captain of Serie A club Roma. His primary position is that of a trequartista, though he has also been successfully utilized as a lone striker. Totti has spent his entire career at Roma, is the number-one goalscorer and the most...
(born 1976), footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the finest players in his generation and also Roma's greatest player ever - Trebisonda VallaTrebisonda VallaTrebisonda Valla, also known as Ondina Valla was an Italian female athlete, and the first Italian woman to win an Olympic gold medal...
(1916–2006), athlete. The first Italian woman to win an OlympicOlympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
gold medal - Christian VieriChristian VieriChristian Vieri is a retired Italian footballer who played as a centre forward.Vieri was named in the FIFA 100, a list of the 125 greatest living footballers selected by Pelé as a part of FIFA's centenary celebrations...
(born 1973), footballer. Regarded as one of the finest strikers in Europe - Alex ZanardiAlex ZanardiAlessandro "Alex" Zanardi is an Italian racing driver and paracyclist.He won two CART championship titles in North America during the late 1990s. He also had a less successful career as a Formula One driver...
(born 1966), racing driver. He won two CARTChamp CarChamp Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
championship titles in North America during the late 1990s - Dino ZoffDino ZoffDino Zoff is an Italian former football goalkeeper and is the oldest winner ever of the World Cup, which he earned as captain of the Italian team in the 1982 tournament in Spain, at the age of 40 years, 4 months and 13 days.Zoff was a goalkeeper of outstanding ability and has a place in the...
(born 1942), football goalkeeper, among the very best in this role - Gianfranco ZolaGianfranco ZolaGianfranco Zola, OBE, Ufficiale OMRI is a retired Italian footballer and manager, who most recently managed West Ham United from 2008 to 2010, after having been assistant manager of the Italy U-21 under Pierluigi Casiraghi...
(born 1966), footballer. He was voted Chelsea’s greatest ever player in the centenary celebrations of 2005
Ancient and Late Antique
- Lucius AcciusLucius AcciusLucius Accius , or Lucius Attius, was a Roman tragic poet and literary scholar. The son of a freedman, Accius was born at Pisaurum in Umbria, in 170 BC...
(170 BC – c.CircaCirca , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
86 BC), Roman poet. Author of more than 40 tragedies with subjects taken from Greek mythologyGreek mythologyGreek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece... - Livius AndronicusLivius AndronicusLucius Livius Andronicus , not to be confused with the later historian Livy, was a Greco-Roman dramatist and epic poet of the Old Latin period. He began as an educator in the service of a noble family at Rome by translating Greek works into Latin, including Homer’s Odyssey. They were meant at...
(c. 284 BC – c. 204 BC), founder of Roman epic poetry and drama - AratorAratorArator was a sixth century Christian poet from Liguria in northwestern Italy. His best known work, De Actibus Apostolorum, is a verse history of the Apostles.-Biography:...
(480/490 – ...), Christian poet, his best known work, De Actibus Apostolorum, is a verse history of the Apostles - Boethius (470/475–524), Roman scholar, Christian philosopher, and statesman, author of the celebrated De consolatione philosophiaeConsolation of PhilosophyConsolation of Philosophy is a philosophical work by Boethius, written around the year 524. It has been described as the single most important and influential work in the West on Medieval and early Renaissance Christianity, and is also the last great Western work that can be called Classical.-...
- CassiodorusCassiodorusFlavius Magnus Aurelius Cassiodorus Senator , commonly known as Cassiodorus, was a Roman statesman and writer, serving in the administration of Theodoric the Great, king of the Ostrogoths. Senator was part of his surname, not his rank.- Life :Cassiodorus was born at Scylletium, near Catanzaro in...
(490 – c. 585), historian, statesman, and monk who helped to save the culture of RomeCulture of ancient RomeAncient Roman culture existed throughout the almost 1200-year history of the civilization of Ancient Rome. The term refers to the culture of the Roman Republic, later the Roman Empire, which, at its peak, covered an area from Lowland Scotland and Morocco to the Euphrates.Life in ancient Rome...
at a time of impending barbarism - CatullusCatullusGaius Valerius Catullus was a Latin poet of the Republican period. His surviving works are still read widely, and continue to influence poetry and other forms of art.-Biography:...
(c. 84 BC – c. 54 BC), Roman poet whose expressions of love and hatred are generally considered the finest lyric poetry of ancient RomeAncient RomeAncient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world.... - EnniusEnniusQuintus Ennius was a writer during the period of the Roman Republic, and is often considered the father of Roman poetry. He was of Calabrian descent...
(239 BC–169 BC), epic poet, dramatist, and satirist, the most influential of the early Latin poets, rightly called the founder of Roman literature - Julius Firmicus MaternusJulius Firmicus MaternusJulius Firmicus Maternus was a Christian Latin writer and notable astrologer, who lived in the reign of Constantine I and his successors.-Life and works:...
(... – ...), Christian Latin writer and astrologer - Gaius Valerius FlaccusGaius Valerius FlaccusGaius Valerius Flaccus was a Roman poet who flourished in the "Silver Age" under the emperors Vespasian and Titus and wrote a Latin Argonautica that owes a great deal to Apollonius of Rhodes' more famous epic....
(... – c. 90), Roman poet. He wrote an eight-book epic, the Argonautica, on Jason's fabled quest for the Golden FleeceGolden FleeceIn Greek mythology, the Golden Fleece is the fleece of the gold-haired winged ram, which can be procured in Colchis. It figures in the tale of Jason and his band of Argonauts, who set out on a quest by order of King Pelias for the fleece in order to place Jason rightfully on the throne of Iolcus... - Venantius FortunatusVenantius FortunatusVenantius Honorius Clementianus Fortunatus was a Latin poet and hymnodist in the Merovingian Court, and a Bishop of the early Catholic Church. He was never canonised but was venerated as Saint Venantius Fortunatus during the Middle Ages.-Life:Venantius Fortunatus was born between 530 and 540 A.D....
(c. 540 – c. 600), poet and bishop of PoitiersRoman Catholic Archdiocese of PoitiersThe Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Poitiers is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church in France. The archepiscopal see is in the city of Poitiers. The Diocese of Poitiers includes the two Departments of Vienne and Deux-Sèvres...
, whose Latin poems and hymns combine echoes of classical LatinClassical LatinClassical Latin in simplest terms is the socio-linguistic register of the Latin language regarded by the enfranchised and empowered populations of the late Roman republic and the Roman empire as good Latin. Most writers during this time made use of it...
poets with medieval toneMedieval literatureMedieval literature is a broad subject, encompassing essentially all written works available in Europe and beyond during the Middle Ages . The literature of this time was composed of religious writings as well as secular works... - Sextus Julius FrontinusSextus Julius FrontinusSextus Julius Frontinus was one of the most distinguished Roman aristocrats of the late 1st century AD, but is best known to the post-Classical world as an author of technical treatises, especially one dealing with the aqueducts of Rome....
(c. 40–103), Roman administrator and writer. His most famous work De aquaeductuDe aquaeductu' is a two-book official report given to the emperor on the state of the aqueducts of Rome, and was written by Julius Sextus Frontinus at the end of the 1st century AD. It is also known as or . It is the earliest official report of an investigation made by a distinguished citizen on Roman...
, in two books written after he was appointed curator of the Roman water-supply (97) - Aulus GelliusAulus GelliusAulus Gellius , was a Latin author and grammarian, who was probably born and certainly brought up in Rome. He was educated in Athens, after which he returned to Rome, where he held a judicial office...
(c. 125 – after 180), Latin author and grammarian remembered for his miscellany Attic Nights, in which many fragments of lost works are preserved - HoraceHoraceQuintus Horatius Flaccus , known in the English-speaking world as Horace, was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus.-Life:...
(65 BC–8 BC), Roman poet, outstanding Latin lyric poet and satirist under the emperor AugustusAugustusAugustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian... - JuvenalJuvenalThe Satires are a collection of satirical poems by the Latin author Juvenal written in the late 1st and early 2nd centuries AD.Juvenal is credited with sixteen known poems divided among five books; all are in the Roman genre of satire, which, at its most basic in the time of the author, comprised a...
(55/60–127), most powerful of all Roman satiric poets - LivyLivyTitus Livius — known as Livy in English — was a Roman historian who wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people. Ab Urbe Condita Libri, "Chapters from the Foundation of the City," covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome well before the traditional foundation in 753 BC...
(59/64 BC–AD 17), one of the great Roman historians - LucretiusLucretiusTitus Lucretius Carus was a Roman poet and philosopher. His only known work is an epic philosophical poem laying out the beliefs of Epicureanism, De rerum natura, translated into English as On the Nature of Things or "On the Nature of the Universe".Virtually no details have come down concerning...
(c. 99 BC – c. 55 BC), Roman poet and philosopher known for his single, long poem, De rerum natura - Gnaeus NaeviusGnaeus NaeviusGnaeus Naevius was a Roman epic poet and dramatist of the Old Latin period. He had a notable literary career at Rome until his satiric comments delivered in comedy angered the Metelli family, one of whom was consul. After a sojourn in prison he recanted and was set free by the tribunes...
(c. 270 BC– c. 200 BC), second of a triad of early Latin epic poets and dramatists, between Livius Andronicus and Ennius - Cornelius NeposCornelius NeposCornelius Nepos was a Roman biographer. He was born at Hostilia, a village in Cisalpine Gaul not far from Verona. His Gallic origin is attested by Ausonius, and Pliny the Elder calls him Padi accola...
(c. 100 BC – c. 25 BC), Roman biographer. His only extant work is a collection of biographies, mostly from a lost larger work, De Viris Illustribus (on illustrious men) - OvidOvidPublius Ovidius Naso , known as Ovid in the English-speaking world, was a Roman poet who is best known as the author of the three major collections of erotic poetry: Heroides, Amores, and Ars Amatoria...
(43 BC–17 AD), Roman poet noted especially for his Ars amatoriaArs AmatoriaThe Ars amatoria is an instructional love elegy in three books by the Roman poet Ovid, penned around 2 CE. It claims to provide teaching in three areas of general preoccupation: how and where to find women in Rome, how to seduce them, and how to prevent others from stealing them.-Background:After...
and Metamorphoses - Persius (34–62), Roman satirist, author of six satires, which show the influence of Horace and of StoicismStoicismStoicism is a school of Hellenistic philosophy founded in Athens by Zeno of Citium in the early . The Stoics taught that destructive emotions resulted from errors in judgment, and that a sage, or person of "moral and intellectual perfection," would not suffer such emotions.Stoics were concerned...
and which were imitated by John DonneJohn DonneJohn Donne 31 March 1631), English poet, satirist, lawyer, and priest, is now considered the preeminent representative of the metaphysical poets. His works are notable for their strong and sensual style and include sonnets, love poetry, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs,...
and translated by John DrydenJohn DrydenJohn Dryden was an influential English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who dominated the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the period came to be known in literary circles as the Age of Dryden.Walter Scott called him "Glorious John." He was made Poet...
(1692) - PetroniusPetroniusGaius Petronius Arbiter was a Roman courtier during the reign of Nero. He is generally believed to be the author of the Satyricon, a satirical novel believed to have been written during the Neronian age.-Life:...
(d. 66 AD), reputed author of the SatyriconSatyriconSatyricon is a Latin work of fiction in a mixture of prose and poetry. It is believed to have been written by Gaius Petronius, though the manuscript tradition identifies the author as a certain Titus Petronius...
, a literary portrait of Roman society of the 1st century AD - PlautusPlautusTitus Maccius Plautus , commonly known as "Plautus", was a Roman playwright of the Old Latin period. His comedies are the earliest surviving intact works in Latin literature. He wrote Palliata comoedia, the genre devised by the innovator of Latin literature, Livius Andronicus...
(c. 254 BC–184 BC), Roman comic dramatist, whose works, loosely adapted from Greek plays, established a truly Roman drama in the Latin language - Pliny the ElderPliny the ElderGaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
(23–79), Roman savant and author of the celebrated Natural History - Pliny the YoungerPliny the YoungerGaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, born Gaius Caecilius or Gaius Caecilius Cilo , better known as Pliny the Younger, was a lawyer, author, and magistrate of Ancient Rome. Pliny's uncle, Pliny the Elder, helped raise and educate him...
(61/62 – c. 113), Roman author and administrator - Sextus PropertiusSextus PropertiusSextus Aurelius Propertius was a Latin elegiac poet of the Augustan age. He was born around 50–45 BC in Assisium and died shortly after 15 BC.Propertius' surviving work comprises four books of Elegies...
(55/43 BC–16 BC), greatest elegiac poet of ancient RomeAncient RomeAncient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world.... - Gaius Musonius Rufus (1st cent. AD), Roman Stoic philosopher, probably best known as the teacher of EpictetusEpictetusEpictetus was a Greek sage and Stoic philosopher. He was born a slave at Hierapolis, Phrygia , and lived in Rome until banishment when he went to Nicopolis in northwestern Greece where he lived the rest of his life. His teachings were noted down and published by his pupil Arrian in his Discourses...
- SallustSallustGaius Sallustius Crispus, generally known simply as Sallust , a Roman historian, belonged to a well-known plebeian family, and was born at Amiternum in the country of the Sabines...
(86 BC–35/34 BC), Roman historian and one of the great Latin literary stylists - Silius ItalicusSilius ItalicusSilius Italicus, in full Tiberius Catius Asconius Silius Italicus , was a Roman consul, orator, and Latin epic poet of the 1st century CE,...
(c. 26–102), Roman poet and politician. He was the author of the longest surviving Latin poem, PunicaPunica (poem)The Punica is a Latin epic poem in seventeen books in dactylic hexameter written by Silius Italicus comprising some twelve thousand lines . It is the longest surviving Latin poem from antiquity...
, an epic in 17 books on the Second Punic WarSecond Punic WarThe Second Punic War, also referred to as The Hannibalic War and The War Against Hannibal, lasted from 218 to 201 BC and involved combatants in the western and eastern Mediterranean. This was the second major war between Carthage and the Roman Republic, with the participation of the Berbers on...
(218–202 BC) - StatiusStatiusPublius Papinius Statius was a Roman poet of the 1st century CE . Besides his poetry in Latin, which include an epic poem, the Thebaid, a collection of occasional poetry, the Silvae, and the unfinished epic, the Achilleid, he is best known for his appearance as a major character in the Purgatory...
(c. 45 – c. 96), one of the principal Roman epic and lyric poets of the Silver Age of Latin literatureLatin literatureLatin literature includes the essays, histories, poems, plays, and other writings of the ancient Romans. In many ways, it seems to be a continuation of Greek literature, using many of the same forms...
(18–133) - SuetoniusSuetoniusGaius Suetonius Tranquillus, commonly known as Suetonius , was a Roman historian belonging to the equestrian order in the early Imperial era....
(69 – after 122), Roman biographer and antiquarian whose writings include De viris illustribus and De vita Caesarum - Quintus Aurelius SymmachusQuintus Aurelius SymmachusQuintus Aurelius Symmachus was a Roman statesman, orator, and man of letters. He held the offices of governor of Africa in 373, urban prefect of Rome in 384 and 385, and consul in 391...
(c. 345–402), Roman statesman, orator and writerWriterA writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
who was a leading opponent of ChristianityChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings... - TibullusTibullusAlbius Tibullus was a Latin poet and writer of elegies.Little is known about his life. His first and second books of poetry are extant; many other texts attributed to Tibullus are of questionable origins. There are only a few references to him in later writers and a short Life of doubtful authority...
(c. 55 BC – c. 19 BC), Roman poet - Marcus Terentius VarroMarcus Terentius VarroMarcus Terentius Varro was an ancient Roman scholar and writer. He is sometimes called Varro Reatinus to distinguish him from his younger contemporary Varro Atacinus.-Biography:...
(116 BC–27 BC), Rome’s greatest scholar and a satirist of stature, best known for his Saturae Menippeae - Marcus Velleius PaterculusMarcus Velleius PaterculusMarcus Velleius Paterculus was a Roman historian, also known simply as Velleius. Although his praenomen is given as Marcus by Priscian, some modern scholars identify him with Gaius Velleius Paterculus, whose name occurs in an inscription on a north African milestone .-Biography:Paterculus belonged...
(c. 19 BC – c. AD 31), Roman historian. Author of a short history of Rome which he wrote to commemorate the consulship of his friend Marcus Vinicius (AD 30) - VirgilVirgilPublius Vergilius Maro, usually called Virgil or Vergil in English , was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He is known for three major works of Latin literature, the Eclogues , the Georgics, and the epic Aeneid...
(70 BC–19 BC), Roman poet, best known for his national epic, the AeneidAeneidThe Aeneid is a Latin epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Romans. It is composed of roughly 10,000 lines in dactylic hexameter...
. One of Rome's greatest poets
The Middle Ages
- Albertanus of BresciaAlbertanus of BresciaAlbertanus of Brescia , author of Latin social treatises and sermons.-Biography:...
(c. 1195 – c. 1251), Latin prose writer; his the best known work is Liber consolationis et consilii ("The book of consolation and council") - Dante AlighieriDante AlighieriDurante degli Alighieri, mononymously referred to as Dante , was an Italian poet, prose writer, literary theorist, moral philosopher, and political thinker. He is best known for the monumental epic poem La commedia, later named La divina commedia ...
(1265–1321), poet; his greatest work, the epic poem The Divine ComedyThe Divine ComedyThe Divine Comedy is an epic poem written by Dante Alighieri between 1308 and his death in 1321. It is widely considered the preeminent work of Italian literature, and is seen as one of the greatest works of world literature...
, is considered the greatest literary statement produced in medieval EuropeMedieval literatureMedieval literature is a broad subject, encompassing essentially all written works available in Europe and beyond during the Middle Ages . The literature of this time was composed of religious writings as well as secular works... - Cecco AngiolieriCecco Angiolieri- Biography :Cecco Angiolieri was born in Siena in 1260, son of Angioliero, who was himself the son of Angioliero Solafìca who was for several years a banker to Pope Gregory IX; his mother was Lisa de' Salimbeni, from a powerful Senese family....
(c. 1260 – c. 1312), poet who is considered by some the first master of Italian comic verse - Anselm of CanterburyAnselm of CanterburyAnselm of Canterbury , also called of Aosta for his birthplace, and of Bec for his home monastery, was a Benedictine monk, a philosopher, and a prelate of the church who held the office of Archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 to 1109...
(1033–1109), founder of ScholasticismScholasticismScholasticism is a method of critical thought which dominated teaching by the academics of medieval universities in Europe from about 1100–1500, and a program of employing that method in articulating and defending orthodoxy in an increasingly pluralistic context...
; he was one of the most important Christian thinkers of the 11th century - Thomas AquinasThomas AquinasThomas Aquinas, O.P. , also Thomas of Aquin or Aquino, was an Italian Dominican priest of the Catholic Church, and an immensely influential philosopher and theologian in the tradition of scholasticism, known as Doctor Angelicus, Doctor Communis, or Doctor Universalis...
(c. 1225–1274), philosopher and theologian in the scholastic tradition; his most influential work is the Summa TheologicaSumma TheologicaThe Summa Theologiæ is the best-known work of Thomas Aquinas , and although unfinished, "one of the classics of the history of philosophy and one of the most influential works of Western literature." It is intended as a manual for beginners in theology and a compendium of all of the main...
(1265–1274) which consists of three parts - BonaventureBonaventureSaint Bonaventure, O.F.M., , born John of Fidanza , was an Italian medieval scholastic theologian and philosopher. The seventh Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor, he was also a Cardinal Bishop of Albano. He was canonized on 14 April 1482 by Pope Sixtus IV and declared a Doctor of the...
(1221–1274), leading medieval theologian, philosopher, minister general of the Franciscan order and cardinal bishop of AlbanoRoman Catholic Suburbicarian Diocese of AlbanoThe Diocese of Albano is a suburbicarian see of the Roman Catholic Church in a diocese in Italy, comprising seven towns in the Province of Rome...
. He wrote several works on the spiritual life - Boncompagno da SignaBoncompagno da SignaBoncompagno da Signa was an Italian scholar, grammarian, historian, and philosopher....
(c. 1165/1175–1240), philosopher, grammarian and historian - Guido CavalcantiGuido CavalcantiGuido Cavalcanti was a Florentine poet, as well as an intellectual influence on his best friend, Dante. His poems in their original Italian are available on Wikisource .-Historical background:...
(c. 1255–1300), poet, a major figure among the Florentine poets - Dino CompagniDino CompagniDino Compagni was an Italian historical writer and political figure.He was born into a prosperous family of Florence, supporters of the Guelphs. He was democratic in feeling, and was a supporter of the new ordinances of Giano della Bella.As prior and gonfalonier of justice he always had the public...
(c. 1255–1324), historical writer and political figure - Pietro d'AbanoPietro d'AbanoPietro d'Abano also known as Petrus De Apono or Aponensis was an Italian philosopher, astrologer and professor of medicine in Padua. He was born in the Italian town from which he takes his name, now Abano Terme. He gained fame by writing Conciliator Differentiarum, quæ inter Philosophos et Medicos...
(1257–1315), physician, philosopher, and astrologer - Bonvesin da la Riva (c. 1240 – c. 1313), poet and writer
- Francis of AssisiFrancis of AssisiSaint Francis of Assisi was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher. He founded the men's Franciscan Order, the women’s Order of St. Clare, and the lay Third Order of Saint Francis. St...
(1181/1182–1226), founder of the FranciscanFranciscanMost Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
orders of the Friars Minor; his beloved hymn, Canticle of the SunCanticle of the SunThe Canticle of the Sun, also known as the Laudes Creaturarum , is a religious song composed by Saint Francis of Assisi. It was written in the Umbrian dialect of Italian but has since been translated into many languages...
, is one of the greatest songs of ChristendomChristendomChristendom, or the Christian world, has several meanings. In a cultural sense it refers to the worldwide community of Christians, adherents of Christianity... - Giacomo da LentiniGiacomo da LentiniGiacomo da Lentini, also known as Giàcumu da Lintini and Jacopo Notaro, was an Italian poet of the 13th century. He was a senior poet of the Sicilian School and was a notary at the court of the Holy Roman emperor Frederick II...
(fl.FloruitFloruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
13th century), poet. He is traditionally credited with the invention of the sonnetSonnetA sonnet is one of several forms of poetry that originate in Europe, mainly Provence and Italy. A sonnet commonly has 14 lines. The term "sonnet" derives from the Occitan word sonet and the Italian word sonetto, both meaning "little song" or "little sound"... - Guido delle ColonneGuido delle ColonneGuido delle Colonne was an early 13th century Sicilian writer, living at Messina, who wrote in Latin...
(c. 1215 – c. 1290), jurist, poet, and Latin prose writer; author of a prose narrative of the Trojan WarTrojan WarIn Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, the king of Sparta. The war is among the most important events in Greek mythology and was narrated in many works of Greek literature, including the Iliad...
entitled Historia destructionis TroiaeHistoria destructionis TroiaeHistoria destructionis Troiae or Historia Troiana is a Latin prose narrative written by Guido delle Colonne, a Sicilian author, in the early 13th century. Its main source was the Old French verse romance by Benoît de Sainte-Maure, Roman de Troie...
(completed about 1287) - Guido GuinizelliGuido GuinizelliGuido Guinizzelli , born in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy, was an Italian poet and 'founder' of the Dolce Stil Novo...
(c. 1230–1276), considered a precursor of Dante and the originator of the so-called dolce stil novoDolce Stil NovoDolce Stil Novo , or stilnovismo, is the name given to the most important literary movement of 13th century in Italy. Influenced by both Sicilian and Tuscan poetry, its main theme is Love . Gentilezza and Amore are indeed topoi in the major works of the period...
, or sweet new style - Guittone d'ArezzoGuittone d'ArezzoGuittone d'Arezzo was a Tuscan poet and the founder of the Tuscan School. He was an acclaimed secular love poet before his conversion in the 1260s, when he became a religious poet. In 1256, he was exiled from Arezzo due to his Guelf sympathies....
(c. 1235–1294), poet and the founder of the Tuscan School - Jacobus de VoragineJacobus de VoragineBlessed Jacobus de Varagine or Voragine was an Italian chronicler and archbishop of Genoa. He was the author, or more accurately the compiler, of Legenda Aurea, the Golden Legend, a collection of the legendary lives of the greater saints of the medieval church that was one of the most popular...
(1228/30–1298), archbishop of GenoaRoman Catholic Archdiocese of GenoaThe Archdiocese of Genoa is a metropolitan see of the Catholic Church in Italy.Erected in the third century, it was elevated to an archdiocese on 20 March 1133...
, chronicler, and author of the Golden LegendGolden LegendThe Golden Legend is a collection of hagiographies by Jacobus de Voragine that became a late medieval bestseller. More than a thousand manuscripts of the text have survived, compared to twenty or so of its nearest rivals...
; one of the most popular religious works of the Middle AgesMiddle AgesThe Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern... - Jacopone da TodiJacopone da TodiJacopone da Todi was a Franciscan friar from Umbria, Italy in the 13th century. He wrote several laudi in Italian. He was an early pioneer in Italian theatre, being one of the earliest scholars who dramatised gospel subjects.-Life:Jacopone studied law in Bologna and became a successful lawyer...
(c. 1230–1306), FranciscanFranciscanMost Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
poet; he wrote many ardent, mystical poems and is probably the author of the LatinLatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
poem Stabat Mater Dolorosa - LanfrancLanfrancLanfranc was Archbishop of Canterbury, and a Lombard by birth.-Early life:Lanfranc was born in the early years of the 11th century at Pavia, where later tradition held that his father, Hanbald, held a rank broadly equivalent to magistrate...
(c. 1005–1089), philosopher and theologian - Brunetto LatiniBrunetto LatiniBrunetto Latini was an Italian philosopher, scholar and statesman.-Life:...
(c. 1220–1294), philosopher, scholar and statesman; wrote, in FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Li livres dou tresor, the first vernacularVernacularA vernacular is the native language or native dialect of a specific population, as opposed to a language of wider communication that is not native to the population, such as a national language or lingua franca.- Etymology :The term is not a recent one...
encyclopediaEncyclopediaAn encyclopedia is a type of reference work, a compendium holding a summary of information from either all branches of knowledge or a particular branch of knowledge.... - Peter LombardPeter LombardPeter Lombard was a scholastic theologian and bishop and author of Four Books of Sentences, which became the standard textbook of theology, for which he is also known as Magister Sententiarum-Biography:Peter Lombard was born in Lumellogno , in...
(c. 1100–1160), theologian; his philosophical work, the Four Books of Sentences, was the standard theological text of the Middle Ages - Marsilius of PaduaMarsilius of PaduaMarsilius of Padua Marsilius of Padua Marsilius of Padua (Italian Marsilio or Marsiglio da Padova; (circa 1275 – circa 1342) was an Italian scholar, trained in medicine who practiced a variety of professions. He was also an important 14th century political figure...
(1270–1342), political philosopher, whose work Defensor pacisDefensor pacisThe tract Defensor pacis laid the foundations of modern doctrines of sovereignty. It was written by Marsilius of Padua , an Italian medieval scholar. It appeared in 1324 and provoked a storm of controversy that lasted through the century...
("Defender of the Peace"), one of the most revolutionary of medieval documents - Matthew of AquaspartaMatthew of AquaspartaMatthew of Aquasparta was an Italian Franciscan and scholastic philosopher.-Life:Born in Acquasparta, Umbria, he was a member of the Bentivenghi family, to which belonged his fellow Franciscan, Cardinal Bentivenga de' Bentivenghi, bishop of Albano...
(1240–1302), Franciscan and scholastic philosopher - Michael of CesenaMichael of CesenaMichael of Cesena was an Italian Franciscan, general of that Order, and theologian.-Biography:...
(c. 1270–1342), Franciscan, general of that Order, and theologian - Thomas of CelanoThomas of CelanoThomas of Celano was an Italian friar of the Franciscans , a poet, and the author of three hagiographies about Saint Francis of Assisi.Thomas was from Celano in Abruzzo...
(c. 1200 – c. 1255), Friar Minor and poet; author of three hagiographiesHagiographyHagiography is the study of saints.From the Greek and , it refers literally to writings on the subject of such holy people, and specifically to the biographies of saints and ecclesiastical leaders. The term hagiology, the study of hagiography, is also current in English, though less common...
about Saint Francis of Assisi - Giovanni VillaniGiovanni VillaniGiovanni Villani was an Italian banker, official, diplomat and chronicler from Florence who wrote the Nuova Cronica on the history of Florence. He was a leading statesman of Florence but later gained an unsavory reputation and served time in prison as a result of the bankruptcy of a trading and...
(c. 1275–1348), chronicler whose European attitude to history foreshadowed HumanismHumanismHumanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
Humanism and the Renaissance
- Pietro AretinoPietro AretinoPietro Aretino was an Italian author, playwright, poet and satirist who wielded immense influence on contemporary art and politics and invented modern literate pornography.- Life :...
(1492–1556), writer and satirist; best known for his literary attacks on his wealthy and powerful contemporaries and for six volumes of letters - Ludovico AriostoLudovico AriostoLudovico Ariosto was an Italian poet. He is best known as the author of the romance epic Orlando Furioso . The poem, a continuation of Matteo Maria Boiardo's Orlando Innamorato, describes the adventures of Charlemagne, Orlando, and the Franks as they battle against the Saracens with diversions...
(1474–1533), poet remembered for his epic poem Orlando furiosoOrlando FuriosoOrlando Furioso is an Italian epic poem by Ludovico Ariosto which has exerted a wide influence on later culture. The earliest version appeared in 1516, although the poem was not published in its complete form until 1532...
(1516); perhaps the greatest chivalry poem ever written - Pietro BemboPietro BemboPietro Bembo was an Italian scholar, poet, literary theorist, and cardinal. He was an influential figure in the development of the Italian language, specifically Tuscan, as a literary medium, and his writings assisted in the 16th-century revival of interest in the works of Petrarch...
(1470–1547), cardinal who wrote one of the earliest Italian grammarItalian grammarItalian grammar is the body of rules describing the properties of the Italian language. Italian words can be divided into these lexical categories: article, noun, adjective, pronoun, verb, adverb, preposition, conjunction and interjection.-Articles:...
s and assisted in establishing the Italian literary language - Francesco BerniFrancesco BerniFrancesco Berni was an Italian poet. He is credited for beginning what is now known as "Bernesque poetry", a serio-comedic type of poetry with elements of satire.-Life:...
(1497/98–1535), poet; important for the distinctive style of his Italian burlesque, which was called bernesco and imitated by many poets - Giovanni BoccaccioGiovanni BoccaccioGiovanni Boccaccio was an Italian author and poet, a friend, student, and correspondent of Petrarch, an important Renaissance humanist and the author of a number of notable works including the Decameron, On Famous Women, and his poetry in the Italian vernacular...
(1313–1375), poet and scholar, author of a number of notable works, including De mulieribus clarisDe mulieribus clarisDe mulieribus claris is a collection of biographies of historical and mythological women by the Florentine author Giovanni Boccaccio, first published in 1374. It is notable as the first collection devoted exclusively to biographies of women in Western literature...
, the Decameron and his poems in the vernacular - Matteo Maria BoiardoMatteo Maria BoiardoMatteo Maria Boiardo was an Italian Renaissance poet.Boiardo was born at, or near, Scandiano ; the son of Giovanni di Feltrino and Lucia Strozzi, he was of noble lineage, ranking as Count of Scandiano, with seignorial power over Arceto, Casalgrande, Gesso, and Torricella...
(1440/41–1494), poet whose Orlando innamoratoOrlando InnamoratoOrlando Innamorato is an epic poem written by the Italian Renaissance author Matteo Maria Boiardo. The poem is a romance concerning the heroic knight Orlando .-Composition and publication:...
, the first poem to combine elements of both Arthurian and Carolingian traditions of romance - Giovanni BoteroGiovanni BoteroGiovanni Botero was an Italian thinker, priest, poet, and diplomat, best known for his work Della ragion di Stato . In this work, he argued against the amoral political philosophy associated with Niccolò Machiavelli's The Prince, not only because it lacked a Christian foundation but also because...
(c. 1544–1617), philosopher and diplomat, best known for his work The Reason of StateThe Reason of StateThe Reason of State is a work of political philosophy by Italian Jesuit Giovanni Botero. It as first published in Venice in 1589, and is most notable for criticizing methods of statecraft associated with Machiavelli and presenting economics as an aspect of politics....
(1589) - Leonardo BruniLeonardo BruniLeonardo Bruni was an Italian humanist, historian and statesman. He has been called the first modern historian.-Biography:...
(c. 1370–1444), a leading historian of his time. He wrote History of the Florentine People (1414–15); is generally considered the first modern work of history - Giordano BrunoGiordano BrunoGiordano Bruno , born Filippo Bruno, was an Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, mathematician and astronomer. His cosmological theories went beyond the Copernican model in proposing that the Sun was essentially a star, and moreover, that the universe contained an infinite number of inhabited...
(1548–1600), philosopher; his major metaphysical works, De la causa, principio, et Uno (1584) and De l'infinito universo et Mondi (1584), were published in FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... - Giulio CamilloGiulio CamilloGiulio "Delminio" Camillo was an Italian philosopher. He is best known for his theatre, described in his posthumously published work L’Idea del Theatro.-Biography:...
(c. 1480–1544), philosopher; he is best known for his theatre, described in his posthumously published work L’Idea del Theatro - Baldassare CastiglioneBaldassare CastiglioneBaldassare Castiglione, count of was an Italian courtier, diplomat, soldier and a prominent Renaissance author.-Biography:Castiglione was born into an illustrious Lombard family at Casatico, near Mantua, where his family had constructed an impressive palazzo...
(1478–1529), courtier, diplomat and writer, best known for his dialogue The Book of the CourtierThe Book of the CourtierThe Book of the Courtier is a courtesy book. It was written by Baldassare Castiglione over the course of many years, beginning in 1508, and published in 1528 by the Aldine Press just before his death...
; one of the great books of its time - Cesare CremoniniCesare Cremonini (philosopher)Cesare Cremonini, sometimes Cesare Cremonino , was an Italian professor of natural philosophy, working rationalism and Aristotelian materialism inside scholasticism...
(1550–1631), Aristotelian philosopher at Padua University - Mario EquicolaMario EquicolaMario Equicola was an Italian Renaissance humanist: a neolatin author, a bibliophile, and a courtier of Isabella d'Este and Federico II Gonzaga. The National Gallery of Art describes him as "one of the Renaissance's most admired classical scholars".Born at Alvito in or around 1470, Equicola was...
(c. 1470–1525), writer; author of Libro de natura de amore (1525) and Istituzioni del comporre in ogni sorta di rima della lingua volgare (1541) - Marsilio FicinoMarsilio FicinoMarsilio Ficino was one of the most influential humanist philosophers of the early Italian Renaissance, an astrologer, a reviver of Neoplatonism who was in touch with every major academic thinker and writer of his day, and the first translator of Plato's complete extant works into Latin...
(1433–1499), philosopher; his chief work was Theologia Platonica de immortalitate animae (1482), in which he combined Christian theology and Neoplatonic elements - Francesco FilelfoFrancesco FilelfoFrancesco Filelfo was an Italian Renaissance humanist.-Biography:Filelfo was born at Tolentino, in the March of Ancona. He is believed to be a third cousin of Leonardo Da Vinci. At the time of his birth, Petrarch and the students of Florence had already brought the first act in the recovery of...
(1398–1481), writer; author of pieces in prose, published under the title Convivia Mediolanensia, and a great many LatinLatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
translations from the GreekGreek languageGreek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;... - Veronica FrancoVeronica FrancoVeronica Franco was an Italian poet and courtesan in 16th century Venice.- Life as a courtesan :Renaissance Venetian society recognized two different classes of courtesans: the cortigiana onesta, the intellectual courtesan, and the cortigiana di lume, lower-class prostitutes who tended to live and...
(1546–1591), poet and high-ranking courtesan; famous in her day for her intellectual and artistic accomplishments - Giovanni Battista GuariniGiovanni Battista GuariniGiovanni Battista Guarini was an Italian poet, dramatist, and diplomat.- Life :He was born in Ferrara, and spent his early life both in Padua and Ferrara, entering the service of Alfonso II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara, in 1567...
(1538–1612), poet who, with Torquato Tasso, is credited with establishing the form of a new literary genreLiterary genreA literary genre is a category of literary composition. Genres may be determined by literary technique, tone, content, or even length. Genre should not be confused with age category, by which literature may be classified as either adult, young-adult, or children's. They also must not be confused...
, the pastoralPastoralThe adjective pastoral refers to the lifestyle of pastoralists, such as shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land according to seasons and the changing availability of water and pasturage. It also refers to a genre in literature, art or music that depicts such shepherd life in an...
drama - Francesco GuicciardiniFrancesco GuicciardiniFrancesco Guicciardini was an Italian historian and statesman. A friend and critic of Niccolò Machiavelli, he is considered one of the major political writers of the Italian Renaissance...
(1483–1540), historian; author of the most important contemporary History of Italy (1537/1540); the masterwork of Italian historical literature of the RenaissanceRenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not... - Cristoforo LandinoCristoforo LandinoCristoforo Landino was an Italian humanist and an important figure of the Florentine Renaissance.-Biography:...
(1424–1498), writer; he wrote three works framed as philosophical dialogues: De anima (1453), De vera nobilitate (1469), and the Disputationes Camaldulenses (c. 1474) - Niccolò MachiavelliNiccolò MachiavelliNiccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli was an Italian historian, philosopher, humanist, and writer based in Florence during the Renaissance. He is one of the main founders of modern political science. He was a diplomat, political philosopher, playwright, and a civil servant of the Florentine Republic...
(1469–1527), political philosopher and writer; best known for his The PrinceThe PrinceThe Prince is a political treatise by the Italian diplomat, historian and political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli. From correspondence a version appears to have been distributed in 1513, using a Latin title, De Principatibus . But the printed version was not published until 1532, five years after...
(written in 1513 and published in 1532); one of the world's most famous essays on political sciencePolitical sciencePolitical Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior... - Giannozzo ManettiGiannozzo ManettiGiannozzo Manetti was an Italian politician and diplomat from Florence, who was also a humanist scholar of the early Italian Renaissance....
(1396–1459), politician and diplomat; significant scholar of the early Italian Renaissance - Girolamo MeiGirolamo MeiGirolamo Mei was an Italian historian and humanist, famous in music history for providing the intellectual impetus to the Florentine Camerata, which attempted to revive ancient Greek music drama. He was born Florence, and died in Rome.Mei was the first European after Boethius to do a detailed...
(1519–1594), writer; his treatise De modis musicis antiquorum (a study of ancient Greek music) greatly influenced the ideas of the Florentine CamerataFlorentine CamerataThe Florentine Camerata was a group of humanists, musicians, poets and intellectuals in late Renaissance Florence who gathered under the patronage of Count Giovanni de' Bardi to discuss and guide trends in the arts, especially music and drama... - Guidobaldo del MonteGuidobaldo del MonteGuidobaldo del Monte , Marquis del Monte, was an Italian mathematician, philosopher and astronomer of the 16th century.- Biography :...
(1545–1607), mathematician, philosopher and astronomer; known for his work Mechanicorum Liber (1577) - Agostino NifoAgostino NifoAgostino Nifo or Augustini Niphi or Niphas, Latinized as Agustinus Niphus or Augustinus Niphus, was an Italian philosopher and commentator.-Life:...
(c. 1473–1538 or 1545), philosopher and commentator; his principal works are: De intellectu et daemonibus (1492) and De immortalitate animi (1518/1524) - Marius NizoliusMarius NizoliusMarius Nizolius was an Italian humanist scholar, known as a proponent of Cicero. He considered rhetoric to be the central intellectual discipline, slighting other aspects of the philosophical tradition. He is described by Michael R. Allen as the heir to the oratorical vision of Lorenzo Valla, and...
(1498–1576), philosopher and scholar; his major work was the Thesaurus Ciceronianus, published in 1535 - Franciscus Patricius (1529–1597), philosopher and scientist. His two great works: Discussionum peripateticorum libri XV (1571) and Nova de universis philosophia (1591)
- PetrarchPetrarchFrancesco Petrarca , known in English as Petrarch, was an Italian scholar, poet and one of the earliest humanists. Petrarch is often called the "Father of Humanism"...
(1304–1374), scholar and poet; his Il CanzoniereIl CanzoniereIl Canzoniere , also known as the Rime Sparse , but originally titled , is a collection of poems by the Italian humanist, poet, and writer Francesco Petrarch....
had enormous influence on the poets of the 15th and 16th centuries - Alessandro PiccolominiAlessandro PiccolominiAlessandro Piccolomini was an Italian humanist and philosopher from Siena, who promoted the popularization in the vernacular of Latin and Greek scientific and philosophical treatises...
(1508–1579), philosopher; his works include Il Dialogo della bella creanza delle donne, o Raffaella (1539) and the comedies Amor costante (1536) and Alessandro (1544) - Giovanni Pico della MirandolaGiovanni Pico della MirandolaCount Giovanni Pico della Mirandola was an Italian Renaissance philosopher. He is famed for the events of 1486, when at the age of 23, he proposed to defend 900 theses on religion, philosophy, natural philosophy and magic against all comers, for which he wrote the famous Oration on the Dignity of...
(1463–1494), scholar and Platonist philosopher; his Oration on the Dignity of ManOration on the Dignity of ManThe Oration on the Dignity of Man is a famous public discourse pronounced in 1486 by Pico della Mirandola, a philosopher of the Renaissance. It has been called the "Manifesto of the Renaissance"....
(1486) is better known than any other philosophical text of the 15th century - Bartolomeo PlatinaBartolomeo PlatinaBartolomeo Platina, originally named Sacchi was an Italian Renaissance writer.-Biography:Platina was born at Piadena , near Cremona....
(1421–1481), writer. He is noted for his Lives of the Popes (1479); the first systematic handbook of papal history - PolizianoPolizianoAngelo Ambrogini, commonly known by his nickname, anglicized as Politian, Italian Poliziano, Latin Politianus was an Italian Renaissance classical scholar and poet, one of the revivers of Humanist Latin...
(1454–1494), poet and philologist; among his works: Stanze per la giostra (incomplete) and Orfeo (1475) - Pietro PomponazziPietro PomponazziPietro Pomponazzi was an Italian philosopher. He is sometimes known by his Latin name, Petrus Pomponatius.-Biography:...
(1462–1525), philosopher; his principal work is On the Immortality of the Soul (1516) - Simone PorzioSimone PorzioSimone Porzio was an Italian philosopher, born and died in Naples.Like his greater contemporary, Pomponazzi, he was a lecturer on medicine at Pisa , and in later life gave up purely scientific study for speculation on the nature of man...
(1496–1554), philosopher. His principal works are: An homo bonus, vel malus volens fiat (1551) and De mente humana (1551) - Francesco PucciFrancesco PucciFrancesco Pucci was an Italian philosopher and humanist.-Life:He was of the same family as the Cardinals Lorenzo Pucci, Roberto Pucci, and Antonio Pucci. He worked began in a mercantile house at Lyon and came into contact with the Protestant Reformation...
(1543–1597), philosopher; author of Forma d'una repubblica cattolica (1581) - Luigi PulciLuigi PulciLuigi Pulci was an Italian poet best known for his Morgante, an epic story of a giant who is converted to Christianity and follows the knight Orlando....
(1432–1484), poet; he ridiculed the heroic poems of his time in his mock epic MorganteMorganteMorgante, sometimes also called Morgante Maggiore , is an Italian romantic epic by Luigi Pulci which appeared in its final form in 1483 .Based...
(1478, 1483) - Ottavio RinucciniOttavio RinucciniOttavio Rinuccini was an Italian poet, courtier, and opera librettist at the end of the Renaissance and beginning of the Baroque eras...
(1562–1621), poet, courtier and opera librettist - Coluccio SalutatiColuccio SalutatiColuccio Salutati was an Italian Humanist and man of letters, and one of the most important political and cultural leaders of Renaissance Florence.-Birth and Early Career:...
(1331–1406), philosopher, man of letters and a skilled writer; Coluccio drew heavily upon the classical traditionClassicsClassics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or... - Jacopo SannazaroJacopo SannazaroJacopo Sannazaro was an Italian poet, humanist and epigrammist from Naples.He wrote easily in Latin, in Italian and in Neapolitan, but is best remembered for his humanist classic Arcadia, a masterwork that illustrated the possibilities of poetical prose in Italian, and instituted the theme of...
(1456–1530), poet; author of Arcadia (1501–1504), first pastoral romance - Julius Caesar ScaligerJulius Caesar ScaligerJulius Caesar Scaliger was an Italian scholar and physician who spent a major part of his career in France. He employed the techniques and discoveries of Renaissance humanism to defend Aristotelianism against the new learning...
(1484–1558), scholar; author of De causis linguae Latinae (1540) and Poetics (1561) - Sperone SperoniSperone SperoniSperone Speroni degli Alvarotti was an Italian Renaissance humanist, scholar and dramatist. He was one of the central members of Padua's literary academy Accademia degli Infiammati and wrote on both moral and literary matters.-Biography:...
(1500–1588), philosopher and scholar; he was one of the central members of PaduaPaduaPadua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
's literary academy, Accademia degli InfiammatiAccademia degli InfiammatiThe Accademia degli Infiammati was a short-lived but influential philosophical and literary academy in Padua...
, and wrote on both moral and literary matters - Torquato TassoTorquato TassoTorquato Tasso was an Italian poet of the 16th century, best known for his poem La Gerusalemme liberata , in which he depicts a highly imaginative version of the combats between Christians and Muslims at the end of the First Crusade, during the siege of Jerusalem...
(1544–1595), poet, one of the foremost writers of the Renaissance, celebrated for his heroic epic poem Jerusalem DeliveredJerusalem DeliveredJerusalem Delivered is an epic poem by the Italian poet Torquato Tasso first published in 1581, which tells a largely mythified version of the First Crusade in which Catholic knights, led by Godfrey of Bouillon, battle Muslims in order to take Jerusalem...
(1581) - Bernardino TelesioBernardino TelesioBernardino Telesio was an Italian philosopher and natural scientist.While his natural theories were later disproven, his emphasis on observation made him the "first of the moderns" who eventually developed thescientific method.-Biography:...
(1509–1588), philosopher; his chief work was De rerum natura iuxta propria principia (1565), marked the period of transition from Aristotelianism to modern thought - Gian Giorgio TrissinoGian Giorgio TrissinoGian Giorgio Trissino was an Italian Renaissance humanist, poet, dramatist, diplomat, and grammarian.-Biography:...
(1478–1550), literary theorist, philologist, dramatist, and poet, an important innovator in Italian drama - Lorenzo VallaLorenzo VallaLorenzo Valla was an Italian humanist, rhetorician, and educator. His family was from Piacenza; his father, Luciave della Valla, was a lawyer....
(1407–1457), rhetorician, and educator who attacked medieval traditions and anticipated views of the Protestant reformers - Lucilio VaniniLucilio VaniniLucilio Vanini was an Italian free-thinker, who in his works styled himself Giulio Cesare Vanini.He was born at Taurisano, near Lecce, and studied philosophy and theology at Rome. After his return to Lecce he applied himself to the physical studies which had come into vogue with the Renaissance....
(1585–1619), philosopher; author of Amphitheatrum Aeternae Providentiae Divino-Magicum (1615) and De Admirandis Naturae Reginae Deaeque Mortalium Arcanis (1616) - Benedetto VarchiBenedetto VarchiBenedetto Varchi was an Italian humanist, a historian and poet.-Biography:Born in Florence to a family that had originated at Montevarchi, he frequented the neoplatonic academy that Bernardo Rucellai organized in his garden, the Orti Oricellari; there, in spite of the fact that Rucellai was...
(1502/1503–1565), poet and historian; best known for his work Storia fiorentina (16 vol.), published only in 1721 - Giorgio VasariGiorgio VasariGiorgio Vasari was an Italian painter, writer, historian, and architect, who is famous today for his biographies of Italian artists, considered the ideological foundation of art-historical writing.-Biography:...
(1511–1574), writer, architect and painter. He is best known for his entertaining biographies of artistArtistAn artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
s, Le Vite de’ più eccellenti architetti, pittori, et scultori italiani (1550) - Nicoletto VerniaNicoletto VerniaNicoletto Vernia was an Italian Averroist philosopher, at the University of Padua.-Life:He studied at Pavia, under Paolo da Pergola in Venice, and with Gaetano da Thiene in Padua, graduating with a doctorate in 1458...
(1442–1499), Averroist philosopher, at the University of PaduaUniversity of PaduaThe University of Padua is a premier Italian university located in the city of Padua, Italy. The University of Padua was founded in 1222 as a school of law and was one of the most prominent universities in early modern Europe. It is among the earliest universities of the world and the second...
The Baroque period and the Enlightenment
- Claudio AchilliniClaudio AchilliniClaudio Achillini was an Italian philosopher, theologian, mathematician, poet, and jurist.Born in Bologna, he was grandson to Giovanni Filoteo Achillini and grand-nephew to Alessandro Achillini. He was professor of jurisprudence for several years at his native Bologna, Parma, and Ferrara, with the...
(1574–1640), poet and jurist; one of the better known Marinisti - Vittorio AlfieriVittorio AlfieriCount Vittorio Alfieri was an Italian dramatist, considered the "founder of Italian tragedy."-Early life:Alfieri was born at Asti in Piedmont....
(1749–1803), tragic poet; from 1775 to 1787, wrote 19 verse tragedieTragédieTragédie is a French rap duo made up of Tizy Bone and Silk Shaï from Nantes. They had three singles that reached #1 in France.-Studio album:*2003: Tragédie*2004: À fleur de peau*2010: TBA-Singles:*2003: "Hey Oh"*2004: "Sexy pour Moi"...
s; his best works include Filippo (1775), Oreste (1786) and Mirra (1786) - Francesco AlgarottiFrancesco AlgarottiCount Francesco Algarotti was an Italian philosopher and art critic.He also completed engravings.He was born in Venice to a rich merchant. He studied at Rome for a year, and then Bologna, he studied natural sciences and mathematics...
(1712–1764), philosopher and art critic; author of a number of stimulating essays on the subjects of architectureArchitectureArchitecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
(1753), the operaOperaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
(1755), and paintingPaintingPainting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
(1762) - Cosimo Amidei (1725–1783), philosopher and jurist; his most important works: Discorso filosofico-politico sopra la carcere de debitori (1770) and De' mezzi per diminuire i mendichi (1771)
- Giuseppe Marc'Antonio BarettiGiuseppe Marc'Antonio BarettiGiuseppe Marc'Antonio Baretti was an Italian-born English literary critic and author of two influential language-translation dictionaries...
(1719–1789), literary critic; author of Italian Library (1757) - Giambattista BasileGiambattista BasileGiambattista Basile was an Italian poet, courtier, and fairy tale collector.- Biography :Born to a Neapolitan middle-class family, Basile was, during his career, a courtier and soldier to various Italian princes, including the doge of Venice. According to Benedetto Croce he was born in 1575, while...
(c. 1575–1632), poet. His best work is in Neapolitan dialect: Le muse napolitane and a collection of 50 short stories, PentameronePentameroneThe Pentamerone is a seventeenth-century fairy tale collection by Italian poet and courtier Giambattista Basile.-Background:...
, Lo cunto de' li cunti (1634–6) - Cesare Beccaria (1738–1794), philosopher, criminologist and jurist; his best known work was his treatise Dei delitti e delle pene (1763–4)
- Saverio BettinelliSaverio BettinelliSaverio Bettinelli was an Italian Jesuit writer.He was born at Mantua. After studying under the Jesuits at Mantua and Bologna, he entered the society in 1736. He taught belles-lettres from 1739 to 1744 at Brescia, where Cardinal Quirini, Count Mazzuchelli, Count Duranti and other scholars, formed...
(1718–1808), writer; author of Lettere dieci di Virgilio agli Arcadi (1758) - Tommaso CampanellaTommaso CampanellaTommaso Campanella OP , baptized Giovanni Domenico Campanella, was an Italian philosopher, theologian, astrologer, and poet.-Biography:...
(1568–1639), DominicanDominican OrderThe Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
philosopher and writer; he is best remembered for his socialistic work The City of the SunThe City of the SunThe City of the Sun is a philosophical work by the Italian Dominican philosopher Tommaso Campanella. It is an important early utopian work.The work was written in Italian in 1602, shortly after Campanella's imprisonment for heresy and sedition...
(1602) - Melchiorre Cesarotti (1730–1808), poet and translator; author of Essay on the Philosophy of Taste (1785) and Essay on the Philosophy of Languages (1785)
- Elena Cornaro PiscopiaElena Cornaro PiscopiaElena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia was a Venetian philosopher of noble descent, and the first woman to receive a degree.She was born in the Palazzo Loredan, at Venice, Republic of Venice on 5 June 1646. She was the third child of Giovanni Battista Cornaro-Piscopia, and his wife Zanetta Boni. ...
(1646–1684), philosopher. She was the first female to graduate from a university - Lorenzo Da PonteLorenzo Da PonteLorenzo Da Ponte was a Venetian opera librettist and poet. He wrote the librettos for 28 operas by 11 composers, including three of Mozart's greatest operas, Don Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro and Così fan tutte....
(1749–1838), poet and librettist; his most notable librettos were for Mozart: The Marriage of FigaroThe Marriage of FigaroLe nozze di Figaro, ossia la folle giornata , K. 492, is an opera buffa composed in 1786 in four acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, based on a stage comedy by Pierre Beaumarchais, La folle journée, ou le Mariage de Figaro .Although the play by...
(1786), Don GiovanniDon GiovanniDon Giovanni is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and with an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It was premiered by the Prague Italian opera at the Teatro di Praga on October 29, 1787...
(1787), and Così fan tutteCosì fan tutteCosì fan tutte, ossia La scuola degli amanti K. 588, is an opera buffa by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart first performed in 1790. The libretto was written by Lorenzo Da Ponte....
(1790) - Carlo DeninaCarlo DeninaCarlo Giovanni Maria Denina was an Italian historian.He was born at Revello, Piedmont, in 1731, and was educated at Saluzzo and Turin. In 1753 he was appointed to the chair of humanity at Pignerol, but he was soon compelled by the influence of the Jesuits to retire from it...
(1731–1813), historian; author of Delle rivoluzioni d'Italia (1769–70) and Delle revoluzioni della Germania (1804) - Gaetano FilangieriGaetano FilangieriGaetano Filangieri , Italian jurist and philosopher, was born in San Sebastiano al Vesuvio, a country near Naples....
(1752–1788), economist and state adviser; he is known for his work, The Science of Legislation (vols. 1–7; 1780–85) - Ferdinando GalianiFerdinando GalianiFerdinando Galiani was an Italian economist, a leading Italian figure of the Enlightenment. Friedrich Nietzsche called him the "most fastidious and refined intelligence" of the 18th century....
(1728–1787), economist; he published two treatises, Della moneta (1750) and Dialogues sur le commerce des blés (1770) - Antonio GenovesiAntonio GenovesiAntonio Genovesi was an Italian writer on philosophy and political economy.-Biography:Genovesi was born at Castiglione, near Salerno....
(1712–1769), writer and political; author of Disciplinarum Metaphysicarum Elementa (1743–52) and Logica (1745) - Pietro GiannonePietro GiannonePietro Giannone was an Italian historian born in Ischitella, in the province of Capitanata. He opposed the papal influence in Naples, for which he was imprisoned for twelve years until his death.-Early life:...
(1676–1748), historian and jurist; his most important work was his Il Triregno, ossia del regno del cielo, della terra, e del papa ; published only in 1895 - Carlo GoldoniCarlo GoldoniCarlo Osvaldo Goldoni was an Italian playwright and librettist from the Republic of Venice. His works include some of Italy's most famous and best-loved plays. Audiences have admired the plays of Goldoni for their ingenious mix of wit and honesty...
(1707–1793), playwright; wrote more than 260 dramatic works of all sorts, including operaOperaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance... - Gasparo GozziGasparo GozziGasparo, count Gozzi was an Italian critic and dramatist.The brother of Carlo Gozzi, he was born in Venice. In 1739, he married the poet Luise Bergalli, and she undertook the management of the theatre of Sant'Angelo, Venice. Her husband supplied the performers with dramas chiefly translated from...
(1713–1786), poet, critic and journalist. His principal writings are: Lettere famigliari (1755), Il Mondo morale (1760) and Osservatore Veneto periodico (1761) - Giovanni Battista GuariniGiovanni Battista GuariniGiovanni Battista Guarini was an Italian poet, dramatist, and diplomat.- Life :He was born in Ferrara, and spent his early life both in Padua and Ferrara, entering the service of Alfonso II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara, in 1567...
(1538–1612), poet and theoretician of literature; his most notable work is Il pastor fidoIl pastor fidoIl pastor fido is an opera in three acts by George Frideric Handel. It was set to a libretto by Giacomo Rossi based on the famed and widely familiar pastoral poem of the same name by Giovanni Battista Guarini.-Performance history:...
(1590), a pastoral tragicomedy - Scipione Maffei (1675–1755), writer and art critic; his most important works: Conclusioni di amore (1702), La scienza cavalleresca (1710) and De fabula equestris ordinis Constantiniani (1712)
- Giambattista Marino (1569–1625), poet. Founder of the school of MarinismMarinismMarinism is the name now given to an ornate, witty style of poetry and verse drama written in imitation of Giambattista Marino , following in particular La Lira and L'Adone.-Features:The critic James V...
(later Secentismo); among his principal works is L'Adone (1623), a long narrative poem - MetastasioMetastasioPietro Antonio Domenico Trapassi, better known by his pseudonym of Metastasio, was an Italian poet and librettist, considered the most important writer of opera seria libretti.-Early life:...
(1698–1782), poet and librettist; considered the most important writer of opera seriaOpera seriaOpera seria is an Italian musical term which refers to the noble and "serious" style of Italian opera that predominated in Europe from the 1710s to c. 1770...
libretti. His melodrama Attilio Regolo (1750) is generally considered his masterpiece - Ludovico Antonio MuratoriLudovico Antonio MuratoriLudovico Antonio Muratori was an Italian historian, notable as a leading scholar of his age, and for his discovery of the Muratorian fragment, the earliest known list of New Testament books....
(1672–1750), historian; author of Antiquitates Italicae Medii Aevi (6 vols; 1738–42) and Annali d’Italia (12 vols; 1744–49) - Ferrante PallavicinoFerrante PallavicinoFerrante Pallavicino was an Italian writer of lampoons and satires which, according to Edward Muir, "were so popular that booksellers and printers bought them from him at a premium." Pallavicino's scandalous satires, which cost him his head at the age of twenty-eight, were all published under...
(1615–1644) satirist and novelist; his most important works: Baccinata ouero battarella per le api barberine (1642) and La Retorica delle puttane (1643) - Giuseppe PariniGiuseppe PariniGiuseppe Parini was an Italian Enlightenment satirist and poet of the neoclassic period.-Biography:Parini was born in Bosisio in Brianza, Lombardy...
(1729–1799), prose writer and poet; author of Dialogo sopra la nobiltà (1757) and Il giorno (4 books, 1763–1801) - Cesare RipaCesare RipaCesare Ripa was an Italian aesthetician who worked for Cardinal Anton Maria Salviati as a cook and butler.Little is known about his life. He was born in Perugia and died in Rome. After the death of the cardinal, Ripa worked for his relatives...
(c. 1560 – c. 1622), aesthetician and writer; author of the Iconologia overo Descrittione Dell’imagini Universali cavate dall’Antichità et da altri luoghi (1593), an influential emblem bookEmblem bookEmblem books are a category of mainly didactic illustrated book printed in Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries, typically containing a number of emblematic images with explanatory text.... - Alessandro VerriAlessandro VerriAlessandro Verri was an Italian author.left|frame|Alessandro Verri.Born in Milan into an aristocratic family, as a young he participated in the Accademia dei Pugni, founded together his brother Pietro Verri and their friends Cesare Beccaria, Alfonso Longo, Pietro Secchi, Giambattista Biffi and...
(1741–1816), novelist and reformer; author of Le avventure di Saffo poetessa di Mitilene (1782), Notti romane al sepolcro degli Scipioni (1792–1804) and La vita di Erostrato (1815) - Pietro VerriPietro VerriPietro Verri was an Italian philosopher, economist, historian and writer.-Biography:Born in Milan, then under Austrian rule, to a conservative noble family, he received a strongly religious education, from which he began to rebel when he reached his twenties...
(1728–1797), political economist and writer; his chief works are: Riflessioni sulle leggi vincolanti (1769) and Meditazioni sull' economia politica (1771) - Giambattista VicoGiambattista VicoGiovanni Battista ' Vico or Vigo was an Italian political philosopher, rhetorician, historian, and jurist....
(1668–1744), philosopher and historian; his major theories were developed in his Scienza nuova (1725)
The 1800s
- Giuseppe Gioacchino BelliGiuseppe Gioacchino BelliGiuseppe Francesco Antonio Maria Gioachino Raimondo Belli was an Italian poet, famous for his sonnets in Romanesco, the dialect of Rome.- Biography :...
(1791–1863), poet; he described the vast panorama of Roman society in colorful dialect - Giovanni BerchetGiovanni BerchetGiovanni Berchet was an Italian poet and patriot. He wrote an influential manifesto on Italian Romanticism, Lettera semiseria di Grisostomo, which appeared in 1816, and contributed to Il Conciliatore, a reformist periodical....
(1783–1851), patriot and poet; he wrote stirring patriotic ballads of a romantic type and rhymed romances, such as Giulia and Matilde - Luigi CapuanaLuigi CapuanaLuigi Capuana was an Italian author and journalist and one of the most important members of the Verist movement. He was a contemporary of Giovanni Verga, both having been born in the province of Catania within a year of each other. He was also one of the first authors influenced by the works of...
(1839–1915), critic and novelist; among his best works are the short stories in Paesane (1894) and the novel Il marchese di Roccaverdina (1901) - Giosuè CarducciGiosuè CarducciGiosuè Alessandro Michele Carducci was an Italian poet and teacher. He was very influential and was regarded as the official national poet of modern Italy. In 1906 he became the first Italian to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.-Biography:...
(1835–1907), poet, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1906, and one of the most influential literary figures of his age - Carlo CollodiCarlo CollodiCarlo Lorenzini , better known by the pen name Carlo Collodi, was an Italian children's writer known for the world-renowned fairy tale novel, The Adventures of Pinocchio.-Biography:...
(1826–1890), author and journalist, best known as the creator of PinocchioPinocchioThe Adventures of Pinocchio is a novel for children by Italian author Carlo Collodi, written in Florence. The first half was originally a serial between 1881 and 1883, and then later completed as a book for children in February 1883. It is about the mischievous adventures of Pinocchio , an... - Gabriele D'AnnunzioGabriele D'AnnunzioGabriele D'Annunzio or d'Annunzio was an Italian poet, journalist, novelist, and dramatist...
(1863–1938), poet, military hero and political leader; author of Il piacere (1889), L'innocente (1892), Giovanni Episcopo (1892) and Il trionfo della morte (1894) - Edmondo De AmicisEdmondo De AmicisEdmondo De Amicis was an Italian novelist, journalist, poet and short-story writer. His best-known book is the children's novel Heart.-Early career:...
(1846–1908), novelist and short-story writer; his most important work is the sentimental children’s storyChildren's literatureChildren's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
HeartHeart (novel)Heart is a children's novel by the Italian author Edmondo De Amicis who was a novelist, journalist, short story writer, and poet. The novel is known to be his best known work to this day, having been inspired by his own children Furio and Ugo who had been schoolboys at the time. It is set during...
(1886) - Federico De RobertoFederico De RobertoFederico De Roberto was an Italian writer, who became well known for his novel I Vicerè . He began his writing career as a journalist for national newspapers, where he met Giovanni Verga and Luigi Capuana, the most prominent writers of the Verismo style. Verga introduced him into the literary...
(1861–1927), writer; best known for his novel I Vicerè (1894) - Francesco de Sanctis (1817–1883), historian and literary critic; important works are his Saggi critici (1866) and his Storia della letteratura italianaStoria della letteratura italiana (De Sanctis)The Storia della letteratura italiana is an essay written by Italian literary critic Francesco de Sanctis, published by Morano in two volumes in 1870 and 1871....
(1870–71) - Antonio FogazzaroAntonio FogazzaroAntonio Fogazzaro was an Italian novelist.-Biography:Fogazzaro was born in Vicenza to a rich family.In 1864 he got a law degree in Turin...
(1842–1911), novelist and poet; his famous Piccolo mondo antico (1896), it is considered one of the great Italian novels of the 19th century - Ugo FoscoloUgo FoscoloUgo Foscolo , born Niccolò Foscolo, was an Italian writer, revolutionary and poet.-Biography:Foscolo was born on the Ionian island of Zakynthos...
(1778–1827), poet and patriot; his popular novel The Last Letters of Jacopo Ortis (1802) bitterly denounced Napoleon's cession of Venetia to Austria - Vincenzo GiobertiVincenzo Giobertithumb|250px|Vincenzo Gioberti.Vincenzo Gioberti was an Italian philosopher, publicist and politician.-Biography:Gioberti was born in Turin....
(1801–1852), philosopher and political writer; his most celebrated work is Del primato morale e civile degli italiani (1843) - Giuseppe GiustiGiuseppe GiustiGiuseppe Giusti was an Italian poet.-Biography:Giusti was born at Monsummano Terme, a small town of the Valdinievole, now in the province of Pistoia....
(1809–1850), satirical poet; he is best known for his poem, Sant’Ambrogio (c. 1846) - Raimondo GuariniRaimondo GuariniRaimondo Guarini was an Italian archaeologist, epigrapher, poet, college president, and teacher. He was born on May 12, 1765 in Mirabella Eclano, in the province of Avellino, Campania, Italy, the second of three sons born to upper middle class parents-Angelo and Rosaria Guarini.Raimondo and his...
(1765–1852), archaeologist, epigrapher, poet; authored the first Oscan/Latin dictionary - Giacomo LeopardiGiacomo LeopardiGiacomo Taldegardo Francesco di Sales Saverio Pietro Leopardi was an Italian poet, essayist, philosopher, and philologist...
(1798–1837), poet and philosopher; author of Canti (1816–37), expressing a deeply pessimistic view of humanity and human nature - Alessandro ManzoniAlessandro ManzoniAlessandro Francesco Tommaso Manzoni was an Italian poet and novelist.He is famous for the novel The Betrothed , generally ranked among the masterpieces of world literature...
(1785–1873), poet and novelist; he is famous for the novel The Betrothed, generally ranked among the masterpieces of world literatureWorld literatureWorld literature refers to literature from all over the world, including African literature, American literature, Arabic literature, Asian literature, Australasian literature, Caribbean Literature, English literature, European literature, Indian literature, Latin American literature, Persian... - Ippolito NievoIppolito NievoIppolito Nievo was an Italian writer, journalist and patriot. His Confessioni d'un italiano is widely considered the most important novel about the Italian Risorgimento.-Life:...
(1831–1861), writer and patriot; best known for his novel Confessioni di un Italiano, also known as Confessioni d'un ottuagenario which was published posthumously in 1867 - Giovanni PascoliGiovanni PascoliGiovanni Placido Agostino Pascoli was an Italian poet and classical scholar.- Biography :Giovanni Pascoli was born at San Mauro di Romagna , into a well-to-do family. He was the fourth of ten children of Ruggero Pascoli and Caterina Vincenzi Alloccatelli...
(1855–1912), poet; his works include Carmina (in LatinLatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, 1914), the more mystical Myricae (1891) and the patriotic Odi e inni (1906) - Silvio PellicoSilvio PellicoSilvio Pellico was an Italian writer, poet, dramatist and patriot.-Biography:Silvio Pellico was born at Saluzzo . He spent the earlier portion of his life at Pinerolo and Turin, under the tuition of a priest named Manavella. At the age of ten he composed a tragedy inspired by a translation of the...
(1789–1854), dramatic poet; his principal works are Francesca da Rimini (1818) and Le mie prigioni (1832) - Antonio Rosmini-SerbatiAntonio Rosmini-SerbatiBlessed Antonio Rosmini-Serbati was an Italian Roman Catholic priest and philosopher. He founded the Rosminians, officially the Institute of Charity or Societas a charitate nuncupata.-Biography:...
(1797–1855), religious philosopher; he is known for his work, Nuovo saggio sull’origine delle idee, published in 1830 - Emilio SalgariEmilio SalgariEmilio Salgari was an Italian writer of action adventure swashbucklers and a pioneer of science fiction.For over a century, his novels were mandatory reading for generations of youth eager for exotic adventures. In Italy, his extensive body of work was more widely read than that of Dante. Today...
(1862–1911), adventure novelist for the young; creator of popular heroic figure SandokanSandokanSandokan is a fictional pirate of the late 19th century, who first appeared in publication in 1883, created by Italian author Emilio Salgari. He is the protagonist of eleven adventure novels and is known throughout the South China Sea as "The Tiger of Malaysia".-Sandokan novels:Emilio Salgari... - Niccolò TommaseoNiccolò TommaseoNiccolò Tommaseo was an Italian Dalmatian linguist, journalist and essayist, the editor of a Dizionario della Lingua Italiana in eight volumes , of a dictionary of synonyms and other works...
(1802–1874), poet and critic; editor of a Dizionario della Lingua Italiana in eight volumes (1861–74), of a dictionary of synonyms (1830) and other works - Giovanni VergaGiovanni VergaGiovanni Carmelo Verga was an Italian realist writer, best known for his depictions of life in Sicily, and especially for the short story "Cavalleria Rusticana" and the novel I Malavoglia .-Life and career:The first son of Giovanni Battista Catalano Verga and Caterina Di Mauro,...
(1840–1922), novelist; his works include Cavalleria rusticanaCavalleria rusticanaCavalleria rusticana is an opera in one act by Pietro Mascagni to an Italian libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci, adapted from a play written by Giovanni Verga based on his short story. Considered one of the classic verismo operas, it premiered on May 17, 1890 at the Teatro...
(1880), I MalavogliaI MalavogliaI Malavoglia is the best known novel by Giovanni Verga. It was first printed in 1881. An English translation, The house by the medlar-tree by Mary A...
(1881), Novelle rusticane (1883), and Mastro-Don Gesualdo (1889)
The 1900s
- Nicola AbbagnanoNicola AbbagnanoNicola Abbagnano was an Italian existential philosopher.- Life :Nicola Abbagnano was born in Salerno on 15 July 1901. He was the first born son of a middle-class professional family, his father was a practicing lawyer in the area...
(1901–1990), author of such books as La struttura dell'esistenza (1939). He was the first and most important Italian existentialist - Corrado AlvaroCorrado AlvaroCorrado Alvaro was an Italian journalist and writer of novels, short stories, screenplays and plays. He often used the verismo style to describes the hopeless poverty in his native Calabria...
(1895–1956), novelist and journalist; author of Gente in Aspromonte, considered by most critics to be his masterpiece - Giorgio BassaniGiorgio BassaniGiorgio Bassani was an Italian novelist, poet, essayist, editor, and international intellectual.-Biography:Bassani was born in Bologna into a prosperous Jewish family of Ferrara, where he spent his childhood with his mother Dora, father Enrico , brother Paolo, and sister Jenny...
(1916–2000), novelist; his most notable work, The Garden of the Finzi-ContinisThe Garden of the Finzi-ContinisThe Garden of the Finzi-Continis is a historical novel by Giorgio Bassani, published in 1962. It chronicles the relationships between the narrator and the children of the Finzi-Contini family from the rise of Benito Mussolini until the start of World War II.-Background:The Garden of the...
, published in 1962 - Vitaliano BrancatiVitaliano BrancatiVitaliano Brancati was an Italian writer. He was born in Pachino and died in Turin. In 1950 he won the Bagutta Prize.-Selected bibliography:* Don Juan in Sicily * The Handsome Antonio...
(1907–1954), writer; in 1950 won the Bagutta PrizeBagutta PrizeThe Bagutta Prize is an Italian literary prize.It originated in Milan's Bagutta Ristorante. The writer Riccardo Bacchelli discovered the restaurant and soon he had numerous friends who would dine together and discuss books. On 11 November 1927 they decided to create a literary prize and named it... - Gesualdo BufalinoGesualdo BufalinoGesualdo Bufalino , was an Italian writer.Gesualdo Bufalino was born in Comiso, Sicily. He studied literature and was, for most of his life a high-school professor in his hometown...
(1920–1996), writer; his novel, Le menzogne della notte (1988) won the Strega PrizeStrega PrizeThe Strega Prize is the most prestigious Italian literary award. It has been awarded annually since 1947 for the best work of prose fiction by an Italian author and first published between 1 May of the previous year and 30 April... - Dino BuzzatiDino BuzzatiDino Buzzati-Traverso was an Italian novelist, short story writer, painter and poet, as well as a journalist for Corriere della Sera. His worldwide fame is mostly due to his novel Il deserto dei Tartari, translated into English as The Tartar Steppe.-Life:Buzzati was born at San Pellegrino,...
(1906–1972), writer, novelist and painter; his most famous work is a novel, The Tartar SteppeThe Tartar SteppeThe Tartar Steppe is a novel by Italian author Dino Buzzati, published in 1940.The novel tells the story of a young officer, Giovanni Drogo, and his life spent guarding the Bastiani Fortress, an old, unmaintained border fortress. The plot of the novel is Drogo's lifelong wait for a great war in...
, published in 1940 - Italo CalvinoItalo CalvinoItalo Calvino was an Italian journalist and writer of short stories and novels. His best known works include the Our Ancestors trilogy , the Cosmicomics collection of short stories , and the novels Invisible Cities and If on a winter's night a traveler .Lionised in Britain and the United States,...
(1923–1985), novelist; his trilogy of historical fantasies The Cloven ViscountThe Cloven ViscountThe Cloven Viscount is a fantasy novel written by Italo Calvino. It was first published by Einaudi in 1952 and in English in 1962 by William Collins, with a translation by Archibald Colquhoun.-Plot:...
(1952), The Baron in the TreesThe Baron in the TreesThe Baron in the Trees is a 1957 Italian novel by Italo Calvino. Described as a conte philosophique and a metaphor for independence, it tells the adventures of a boy who climbs up a tree to spend the rest of his life inhabiting an arboreal kingdom....
(1957), and The Nonexistent KnightThe Nonexistent KnightThe Nonexistent Knight is an allegorical fantasy novel by Italo Calvino, first published in Italian 1959 and in English translation in 1962. The novel tells the story of Agilulf, a medieval knight who perfectly exemplifies chivalry, piety, and faithfulness, but exists only as an empty suit of armor...
(1959) brought him international acclaim - Andrea CamilleriAndrea CamilleriAndrea Camilleri is an Italian writer.-Biography:Originally from Porto Empedocle, Sicily, Camilleri, began studies at the Faculty of Literature in 1944, without concluding them, meanwhile publishing poems and short stories.From 1948 to 1950 Camilleri studied stage and film direction at the Silvio...
(born 1925), writer; the creator of the popular Inspector Salvo Montalbano - Carlo CassolaCarlo CassolaCarlo Cassola was an important Italian novelist and essayist. His novel La Ragazza di Bube , which received the Strega Prize, was adapted into a film by Luigi Comencini in 1963....
(1917–1987), neorealist novelist; he is best known for his novel, Bébo's GirlBébo's GirlBebo's Girl is a novel by Italian writer Carlo Cassola which was published in 1960 and was awarded that year’s Premio Strega. Its initial reception was enthusiastic and an English translation by Marguerite Waldman was published in 1962 as Bebo’s Girl...
, published in 1960 - Benedetto CroceBenedetto CroceBenedetto Croce was an Italian idealist philosopher, and occasionally also politician. He wrote on numerous topics, including philosophy, history, methodology of history writing and aesthetics, and was a prominent liberal, although he opposed laissez-faire free trade...
(1866–1952), historian, humanist, and foremost Italian philosopher of the first half of the 20th century - Erri De LucaErri De LucaErri De Luca is an Italian novelist, translator and poet. He has been defined as "the writer of the decade" by the Corriere della Sera literature critic Giorgio De Rienzo.-Biography:...
(born 1950), poet and writer; author of Aceto, arcobaleno (1992), Tre cavalli (2000) and Montedidio (2002) - Grazia DeleddaGrazia DeleddaGrazia Deledda was an Italian writer whose works won her the Nobel Prize for Literature for 1926.-Biography:...
(1871–1936), novelist. She was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1926; among her most notable works are Elias Portolu (1903), Cenere (1904) and La madre (1920) - Umberto EcoUmberto EcoUmberto Eco Knight Grand Cross is an Italian semiotician, essayist, philosopher, literary critic, and novelist, best known for his novel The Name of the Rose , an intellectual mystery combining semiotics in fiction, biblical analysis, medieval studies and literary theory...
(born 1932), novelist; internationally known for his novel The Name of the RoseThe Name of the RoseThe Name of the Rose is the first novel by Italian author Umberto Eco. It is a historical murder mystery set in an Italian monastery in the year 1327, an intellectual mystery combining semiotics in fiction, biblical analysis, medieval studies and literary theory...
(1980) - Julius EvolaJulius EvolaBarone Giulio Cesare Andrea Evola also known as Julius Evola, was an Italian philosopher and esotericist...
(1898–1974), philosopher and social thinker; one of the leading exponents of the Hermetic tradition - Oriana FallaciOriana FallaciOriana Fallaci was an Italian journalist, author, and political interviewer. A former partisan during World War II, she had a long and successful journalistic career...
(1929–2006), author, and political interviewer; important works are his The Rage and the PrideThe Rage and The PrideThe Rage and the Pride is a book written in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks by the late Italian journalist and author Oriana Fallaci...
(2001) and The Force of ReasonThe Force of ReasonThe Force of Reason is a 2004 book by Italian author Oriana Fallaci. It focuses on criticism of Islam.The book was a bestseller in Europe...
(2004) - Beppe FenoglioBeppe FenoglioBeppe Fenoglio was an Italian writer. His work was published in a critical edition after his death, but controversy remains about his book Il partigiano Johnny , often considered his best work, which was published posthumously in 1968.The works of...
(1922–1963), novelist; he is known for his novel Il partigiano Johnny, which was published posthumously (and incomplete) in 1968 - Dario FoDario FoDario Fo is an Italian satirist, playwright, theater director, actor and composer. His dramatic work employs comedic methods of the ancient Italian commedia dell'arte, a theatrical style popular with the working classes. He currently owns and operates a theatre company with his wife, actress...
(born 1926), satirist, playwright, theater director, actor, and composer. He received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1997 - Carlo Emilio GaddaCarlo Emilio GaddaCarlo Emilio Gadda was an Italian writer and poet. He belongs to the tradition of the language innovators, writers that played with the somewhat stiff standard pre-war Italian language, and added elements of dialects, technical jargon and wordplay.-Biography:Gadda was a practising engineer from...
(1893–1973), novelist; his best-known novel is That Awful Mess on Via Merulana (1957) - Natalia GinzburgNatalia GinzburgNatalia Ginzburg née Levi was an award-winning Italian author whose work explored family relationships, politics during and after the Fascist years and World War II, and philosophy. She wrote novels, short stories and essays, for which she received the Strega Prize and Bagutta Prize...
(1916–1991), novelist; her best-known novels are La strada che va in città (1942), È stato così (1947) and Le voci della sera (1961) - Giovannino GuareschiGiovannino GuareschiGiovannino Oliviero Giuseppe Guareschi was an Italian journalist, cartoonist and humorist whose most famous creation is the priest Don Camillo.-Life and career:...
(1908–1968), journalist and novelist. He is best known as author of The Little World of Don CamilloDon CamilloDon Camillo is the main character created by the Italian writer and journalist Giovannino Guareschi , and is based on the historical Roman Catholic priest, WW II partisan and detainee of the concentration camps of Dachau and Mauthausen, Don Camillo Valota . Don Camillo is one of two protagonists,...
(tr. 1950) and its sequels - Tommaso LandolfiTommaso LandolfiTommaso Landolfi was an Italian author and translator.Born in Pico, province of Frosinone, he wrote numerous grotesque tales and novels, sometimes on the border of speculative fiction, science fiction and realism...
(1908–1979), author and translator; most known and translated work is Racconto d'autunno (1947) - Carlo LeviCarlo LeviDr. Carlo Levi was an Italian-Jewish painter, writer, activist, anti-fascist, and doctor.He is best known for his book Cristo si è fermato a Eboli , published in 1945, a memoir of his time spent in exile in Lucania, Italy, after being arrested in connection with his political activism...
(1902–1975), writer, painter, and political journalist; he is best known for his book, Christ Stopped at Eboli, published in 1945 - Primo LeviPrimo LeviPrimo Michele Levi was an Italian Jewish chemist and writer. He was the author of two novels and several collections of short stories, essays, and poems, but is best known for If This Is a Man, his account of the year he spent as a prisoner in the Auschwitz concentration camp in Nazi-occupied Poland...
(1919–1987), writer and chemist; his first memoir, If This Is a ManIf This Is a ManIf This Is a Man is a work by the Italian writer, Primo Levi, describing his 11 months—from February 21, 1944 until liberation on January 27, 1945—in the German concentration camp at Auschwitz in Poland, during the Second World War...
has been described as one of the most important works of the 20th century - Claudio MagrisClaudio MagrisClaudio Magris is an Italian scholar, translator and writer.Magris graduated from the University of Turin, where he studied German studies, and has been a professor of modern German literature at the University of Trieste since 1978.He is an essayist and columnist for the Italian newspaper...
(born 1939), writer; author of Illazioni su una sciabola (1984), Danubio (1986), Stadelmann (1988), Un altro mare (1991) and Microcosmi (1997) - Filippo Tommaso MarinettiFilippo Tommaso MarinettiFilippo Tommaso Emilio Marinetti was an Italian poet and editor, the founder of the Futurist movement, and a fascist ideologue.-Childhood and adolescence:...
(1876–1944), writer and novelist. The ideological founder of FuturismFuturismFuturism was an artistic and social movement that originated in Italy in the early 20th century.Futurism or futurist may refer to:* Afrofuturism, an African-American and African diaspora subculture* Cubo-Futurism* Ego-Futurism...
; among his works are Le Roi Bombance (1905) and Futurist ManifestoFuturist ManifestoThe Futurist Manifesto, written by the Italian poet Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, was published in the Italian newspaper Gazzetta dell'Emilia in Bologna on 5 February 1909, then in French as "Manifeste du futurisme" in the newspaper Le Figaro on 20 February 1909...
(1909) - Fulvio MeliaFulvio MeliaFulvio Melia is an Italian-American astrophysicist and author. He is Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Arizona and Associate Editor of the Astrophysical Journal Letters...
(born 1956), writer and astrophysicist; author of Electrodynamics (2001), The Edge of Infinity. Supermassive Black Holes in the Universe (2003), and High-Energy Astrophysics (2009) - Eugenio MontaleEugenio MontaleEugenio Montale was an Italian poet, prose writer, editor and translator, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1975.- Early years :...
(1896–1981), poet whose works, which greatly influenced 20th-century Italian literature, include Le Occasioni (1939) and Satura (1962). He won the 1975 Nobel Prize for literature - Indro MontanelliIndro MontanelliIndro Montanelli was an Italian journalist and historian, known for his new approach to writing history in books such as History of the Greeks and History of Rome....
(1909–2001), journalist and historian, known for his new approach to writing history in books such as History of Rome (1957) and History of the Greeks (1959) - Elsa MoranteElsa MoranteElsa Morante was an Italian novelist, perhaps best known for her novel La storia .-Biography:...
(1912–1985), novelist and poet; her most notable work, HistoryHistory (novel)History: A Novel is a novel by Italian author Elsa Morante, largely seen to be her most famous and controversial work. Published in 1974, it narrates the story of a woman, Ida Ramundo, and her two sons Antonio and Giuseppe in Rome, during and immediately after the Second World War.A motion...
, published in 1974 - Alberto MoraviaAlberto MoraviaAlberto Moravia, born Alberto Pincherle was an Italian novelist and journalist. His novels explored matters of modern sexuality, social alienation, and existentialism....
(1907–1990), novelist; author of Gli indifferentiGli indifferentiGli Indifferenti is a novel by Alberto Moravia, published in 1929.-Background:After a meeting with friends at which it was agreed that each should produce a novel, the young Moravia began writing the story that would become Gli Indifferenti...
(1929) and of the anti-fascist novel, The ConformistThe ConformistThe Conformist is a novel by Alberto Moravia published in 1951, which details the life and desire for normalcy of a government official during Italy's fascist period. It is also known for the 1970 film adaptation by Bernardo Bertolucci....
(1951) - Aldo PalazzeschiAldo PalazzeschiAldo Palazzeschi was the pen name of Aldo Giurlani, an Italian novelist, poet, journalist and essayist.-Biography:...
(1885–1974), novelist and poet; best known for his novel Il codice di Perelà published in 1911 - Cesare PaveseCesare PaveseCesare Pavese was an Italian poet, novelist, literary critic and translator; he is widely considered among the major authors of the 20th century in his home country.- Early life and education :...
(1908–1950), poet, novelist and translator; his major works include Il Compagno (1947), Tra Donne Sole (1948) and The Moon and the Bonfires (1949) - Luigi PirandelloLuigi PirandelloLuigi Pirandello was an Italian dramatist, novelist, and short story writer awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1934, for his "bold and brilliant renovation of the drama and the stage." Pirandello's works include novels, hundreds of short stories, and about 40 plays, some of which are written...
(1867–1936), writer and dramatist, winner of the 1934 Nobel Prize for Literature; known for a series of novels and the modernist play, Six Characters in Search of an AuthorSix Characters in Search of an AuthorSix Characters in Search of an Author is a play by the Italian writer Luigi Pirandello.The play is a satirical tragicomedy. It was first performed in 1921 at the Teatro Valle in Rome, to a very mixed reception, with shouts from the audience of "Manicomio!" .Subsequently the play enjoyed a much... - Vasco PratoliniVasco PratoliniVasco Pratolini was one of the most noted Italian writers of the twentieth century.Born in Florence, Pratolini worked at various jobs before entering the literary world thanks to his acquaintance with Elio Vittorini. In 1938 he founded, together with Alfonso Gatto, the magazine Campo di Marte...
(1913–1991), writer and novelist; his most important literary works are the novels Family Diary (1947), Chronicle of Poor Lovers (1947) and Metello (1955) - Salvatore QuasimodoSalvatore QuasimodoSalvatore Quasimodo was an Italian author and poet. In 1959 he won the Nobel Prize for Literature "for his lyrical poetry, which with classical fire expresses the tragic experience of life in our own times". Along with Giuseppe Ungaretti and Eugenio Montale, he is one of the foremost Italian poets...
(1901–1968), poet; his works include La terra impareggiabile (1958) and Dare e avere (1966). He received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1959 - Mario Rigoni SternMario Rigoni SternMario Rigoni Stern was an Italian author and World War II veteran.His first novel Il sergente nella neve, published in 1953 , draws on his own experience as a Sergeant Major in the Alpini corp during the disastrous retreat from Russia in World War II...
(1921–2008), his major works include Il sergente nella neve (1953), Storia di Tönle (1978) and Le stagioni di Giacomo (1995) - Gianni RodariGianni RodariGianni Rodari was an Italian writer and journalist, most famous for his books for children. He won the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1970 and is considered by many to be Italy's most important twentieth-century children's author...
(1920–1980), writer and journalist; he won the Hans Christian Andersen AwardHans Christian Andersen AwardThe Hans Christian Andersen Award, sometimes known as the "Nobel Prize for children's literature", is an international award given biennially by the International Board on Books for Young People in recognition of a "lasting contribution to children's literature"...
in 1970 - Rafael SabatiniRafael SabatiniRafael Sabatini was an Italian/British writer of novels of romance and adventure.-Life:Rafael Sabatini was born in Iesi, Italy, to an English mother and Italian father...
(1875–1950), Italian-British writer of novels of romance and adventure. He remains best known for The Sea HawkThe Sea HawkThe Sea Hawk is a novel by Rafael Sabatini, originally published in 1915. The story is set over the years 1588–1593, and concerns a retired Cornish sea-faring gentleman, Sir Oliver Tressilian, who is villainously betrayed by a jealous half-brother. After being forced to serve as a slave on a ...
(1915), Scaramouche (1921) and Captain BloodCaptain Blood (novel)Captain Blood: His Odyssey is an adventure novel by Rafael Sabatini, originally published in 1922.- Synopsis :The protagonist is the sharp-witted Dr...
(1922) - Leonardo SciasciaLeonardo SciasciaLeonardo Sciascia was an Italian writer, novelist, essayist, playwright and politician. Some of his works have been made into films, including Open Doors and Il giorno della civetta .- Biography :Sciascia was born in Racalmuto, Sicily...
(1921–1989), writer; author of The Day of the OwlThe Day of the OwlThe Day of the Owl is a crime novel about the Mafia by Leonardo Sciascia, finished in 1960 and published in 1961.As the author wrote in his preface of the 1972 Italian edition, the novel was written at a time in which the existence of the Mafia itself was debated and denied...
(1961) and To Each His OwnTo Each His Own (novel)To Each His Own is a 1966 detective novel by Leonardo Sciascia in which an introverted academic , in attempting to solve a double-homicide, is murdered for his naive interference in town politics....
(1966) - Ignazio SiloneIgnazio SiloneIgnazio Silone was the pseudonym of Secondino Tranquilli, an Italian author and politician.-Early life and career:...
(1900–1978), novelist and journalist; best known for his novel Fontamara (1930); was translated into 14 languages - Italo SvevoItalo SvevoAron Ettore Schmitz , better known by the pseudonym Italo Svevo, was an Italian writer and businessman, author of novels, plays, and short stories.- Biography :...
(1861–1928), novelist; his best-known work, which has been called Italy's first modernist novel, is Zeno's Conscience (1923) - Antonio TabucchiAntonio TabucchiAntonio Tabucchi is an Italian writer and academic who teaches Portuguese language and literature at the University of Siena, Italy....
(born 1943), writer; author of Notturno Indiano (1984) and Sostiene Pereira (1994) - Susanna TamaroSusanna TamaroSusanna Tamaro is an Italian novelist. She has also worked as a scientific documentarist and movie maker direction assistant.-Biography:Susanna Tamaro was born in a family of middle class...
(born 1957), novelist. She became famous worldwide with the bestsellerBestsellerA bestseller is a book that is identified as extremely popular by its inclusion on lists of currently top selling titles that are based on publishing industry and book trade figures and published by newspapers, magazines, or bookstore chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and...
Va' dove ti porta il cuore (1994) - Giuseppe Tomasi di LampedusaGiuseppe Tomasi di LampedusaGiuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa , was a Sicilian writer. He is most famous for his only novel, Il Gattopardo which is set in Sicily during the Risorgimento...
(1896–1957), novelist; internationally renowned for his work, The LeopardThe LeopardThe Leopard is a novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa that chronicles the changes in Sicilian life and society during the Risorgimento...
, published posthumously in 1958 - Pier Vittorio TondelliPier Vittorio TondelliPier Vittorio Tondelli was an Italian writer who wrote a small but influential body of work. He was born in Correggio, a small town in the province of Emilia-Romagna in Italy and died in nearby Reggio Emilia of AIDS...
(1955–1991), writer; author of Altri Libertini (1980) and Dinner Party (1994) - Federigo TozziFederigo TozziFederigo Tozzi was an Italian writer.Federigo Tozzi was the son of an innkeeper. He first worked as a railway official, then continued running the inn of his father. 1911 he published his first book of poetry. 1913 he began work on his first novel, Con gli occhi chiusi , a highly autobiographical...
(1883–1920), writer; known for his novel Con gli occhi chiusi published in 1919 - Giuseppe UngarettiGiuseppe UngarettiGiuseppe Ungaretti was an Italian modernist poet, journalist, essayist, critic and academic. A leading representative of the experimental trend known as Ermetismo , he was one of the most prominent contributors to 20th century Italian literature. Influenced by symbolism, he was briefly aligned...
(1888–1970), poet, founder of the Hermetic movement that brought about a reorientation in modern Italian poetry - Elio VittoriniElio VittoriniElio Vittorini was an Italian writer and novelist. He was a contemporary of Cesare Pavese and an influential voice in the modernist school of novel writing. His best-known work is the anti-fascist novel Conversations in Sicily, for which he was jailed when it was published in 1941. The first U.S...
(1908–1966), novelist; his works, among them The Twilight of the Elephant (1947) and The Red Carnation (1948), make a serious attempt to assess the Fascist experience
Other notables
- Giovanni AgnelliGiovanni AgnelliGiovanni Agnelli was an Italian entrepreneur, who founded Fiat car manufacturing in 1899.-Early life:The son of Edoardo Agnelli and Aniceta Frisetti, he was born in Villar Perosa, a small town near Pinerolo, Piedmont, still the main home and burial place of the Agnelli family...
(1866–1945), entrepreneur. Founder of the FiatFiatFIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
(Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino) automobile company - Francesco Antonio Broccu (1797–1882), artisan. Generally regarded as the inventor of RevolverRevolverA revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
(1833) - Alessandro CagliostroAlessandro CagliostroCount Alessandro di Cagliostro was the alias of the occultist Giuseppe Balsamo , an Italian adventurer.-Origin:The history of Cagliostro is shrouded in rumour, propaganda and mysticism...
(1743–1795), charlatan, magician, and adventurer who enjoyed enormous success in Parisian high society in the years preceding the French RevolutionFrench RevolutionThe French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years... - Ambrogio CalepinoAmbrogio CalepinoAmbrogio Calepino , commonly known by the Latin form of his name, Calepinus, was an Italian lexicographer....
(c. 1440–1510), one of the earliest Italian lexicographers, from whose name came the once-common Italian word calepino and English word calepin, for "dictionaryDictionaryA dictionary is a collection of words in one or more specific languages, often listed alphabetically, with usage information, definitions, etymologies, phonetics, pronunciations, and other information; or a book of words in one language with their equivalents in another, also known as a lexicon...
" - Antonio Benedetto CarpanoAntonio Benedetto CarpanoAntonio Benedetto Carpano was an Italian distiller, famous for having invented Vermouth and consequently the apéritif....
(1764–1815), distiller. Inventor of vermouthVermouthVermouth is a fortified wine flavored with various dry ingredients. The modern versions of the beverage were first produced around the late 18th and early 19th centuries in Italy and France...
and aperitifAperitifApéritifs and digestifs are alcoholic drinks that are normally served with meals.-Apéritifs:An apéritif is usually served before a meal to stimulate the appetite. This contrasts with digestifs, which are served after a meal for the purpose of aiding digestion...
(1786) - Giacomo CasanovaGiacomo CasanovaGiacomo Girolamo Casanova de Seingalt was an Italian adventurer and author from the Republic of Venice. His autobiography, Histoire de ma vie , is regarded as one of the most authentic sources of the customs and norms of European social life during the 18th century...
(1725–1798), adventurer and author, chiefly remembered as the prince of Italian adventurers and as the man who made the name Casanova synonymous with "libertineLibertineA libertine is one devoid of most moral restraints, which are seen as unnecessary or undesirable, especially one who ignores or even spurns accepted morals and forms of behavior sanctified by the larger society. Libertines, also known as rakes, placed value on physical pleasures, meaning those...
" - Bartolomeo CristoforiBartolomeo CristoforiBartolomeo Cristofori di Francesco was an Italian maker of musical instruments, generally regarded as the inventor of the piano.-Life:...
(1655–1731), harpsichord maker generally credited with the invention of the pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
(c. 1700) - Francesco Datini (1335–1410), merchant whose business and private papers, preserved in PratoPratoPrato is a city and comune in Tuscany, Italy, the capital of the Province of Prato. The city is situated at the foot of Monte Retaia , the last peak in the Calvana chain. The lowest altitude in the comune is 32 m, near the Cascine di Tavola, and the highest is the peak of Monte Cantagrillo...
, constitute one of the most important archives of the economic historyEconomic historyEconomic history is the study of economies or economic phenomena in the past. Analysis in economic history is undertaken using a combination of historical methods, statistical methods and by applying economic theory to historical situations and institutions...
of the Middle AgesMiddle AgesThe Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern... - Lorenzo de TontiLorenzo de TontiLorenzo de Tonti was a governor of Gaeta, Italy and a Neapolitan banker. He invented the tontine, a form of life insurance.Around 1650, he and his wife, Isabelle di Lietto, gave birth to their first son, the future explorer Henri de Tonti...
(c. 1602 – c. 1684), banker. The inventor of the system of annuities, now known as the tontineTontineA tontine is an investment scheme for raising capital, devised in the 17th century and relatively widespread in the 18th and 19th. It combines features of a group annuity and a lottery. Each subscriber pays an agreed sum into the fund, and thereafter receives an annuity. As members die, their...
(1653) - Giuseppe DonatiGiuseppe DonatiGiuseppe Donati was the inventor of the classical ocarina, a ceramic wind instrument based on the principle of a Helmholtz resonator....
(1835–1925), musician. Inventor of the classical ocarinaOcarinaThe ocarina is an ancient flute-like wind instrument. Variations do exist, but a typical ocarina is an enclosed space with four to twelve finger holes and a mouthpiece that projects from the body... - Giovanni FalconeGiovanni FalconeGiovanni Falcone was an Sicilian/Italian prosecuting magistrate born in Palermo, Sicily. From his office in the Palace of Justice in Palermo, he spent most of his professional life trying to overthrow the power of the Mafia in Sicily...
(1939–1992), magistrate who was specialised in prosecuting Cosa Nostra criminals. His life story is quite similar to that of his closest friend Paolo BorsellinoPaolo BorsellinoPaolo Borsellino was an Italian anti-Mafia magistrate who was killed by a Mafia car bomb in Palermo, less than two months after his fellow anti-Mafia magistrate Giovanni Falcone had been assassinated.... - Johann Maria FarinaJohann Maria Farinathumb|Johann Maria Farina 1685-1766Giovanni Maria Farina was an Italian perfume designer and maker, born on 8 December 1685, in the town of Santa Maria Maggiore...
(1685–1766), perfume designer and maker. Inventor of Eau de CologneEau de CologneEau de Cologne or simply Cologne is a toiletry, a perfume in a style that originated from Cologne, Germany. It is nowadays a generic term for scented formulations in typical concentration of 2-5% essential oils. However as of today cologne is a blend of extracts, alcohol, and water...
(1709) - Sonia GandhiSonia GandhiSonia Gandhi is an Italian-born Indian politician and the President of the Indian National Congress, one of the major political parties of India. She is the widow of former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi...
(born 1946), Italian-born Indian politician and the president of the Indian National CongressIndian National CongressThe Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
, widow of former Prime minister Rajiv GandhiRajiv GandhiRajiv Ratna Gandhi was the sixth Prime Minister of India . He took office after his mother's assassination on 31 October 1984; he himself was assassinated on 21 May 1991. He became the youngest Prime Minister of India when he took office at the age of 40.Rajiv Gandhi was the elder son of Indira... - Ugolino della GherardescaUgolino della GherardescaCount Ugolino della Gherardesca , count of Donoratico, was an Italian nobleman, politician and naval commander. He was frequently accused of treason and features prominently in Dante's Divine Comedy.-Biography:...
(c. 1220–1289), nobleman, whose death by starvation with his sons and grandsons is described by Dante in the InfernoInferno (Dante)Inferno is the first part of Dante Alighieri's 14th-century epic poem Divine Comedy. It is followed by Purgatorio and Paradiso. It is an allegory telling of the journey of Dante through what is largely the medieval concept of Hell, guided by the Roman poet Virgil. In the poem, Hell is depicted as...
(Canto XXXIII) - Flavio GiojaFlavio GiojaFlavio Gioja or Gioia is reputed to have been an Italian mariner and inventor, although modern scholarship disputes that he ever, in fact, existed. He was supposedly a marine pilot and has traditionally been credited with perfecting the sailor's compass by suspending its needle over a...
(... – ...), mariner. Inventor of the compassCompassA compass is a navigational instrument that shows directions in a frame of reference that is stationary relative to the surface of the earth. The frame of reference defines the four cardinal directions – north, south, east, and west. Intermediate directions are also defined...
(1302) - John of MontecorvinoJohn of MontecorvinoJohn of Montecorvino or Giovanni da Montecorvino in Italian was an Italian Franciscan missionary, traveler and statesman, founder of the earliest Roman Catholic missions in India and China, and archbishop of Peking, and Latin Patriarch of the Orient.-Biography:John was born at Montecorvino...
(1246–1328), Franciscan and founder of the CatholicCatholicThe word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
mission in ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture... - Lisa del GiocondoLisa del GiocondoLisa del Giocondo , also known as Lisa Gherardini, Lisa di Antonio Maria Gherardini and Mona Lisa, was a member of the Gherardini family of Florence and Tuscany in Italy...
(1479–1542 or c. 1551), her name was given to Mona LisaMona LisaMona Lisa is a portrait by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. It is a painting in oil on a poplar panel, completed circa 1503–1519...
, her portraitPortrait paintingPortrait painting is a genre in painting, where the intent is to depict the visual appearance of the subject. Beside human beings, animals, pets and even inanimate objects can be chosen as the subject for a portrait...
commissioned by her husband and painted by Leonardo da VinciLeonardo da VinciLeonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
during the Italian RenaissanceItalian RenaissanceThe Italian Renaissance began the opening phase of the Renaissance, a period of great cultural change and achievement in Europe that spanned the period from the end of the 13th century to about 1600, marking the transition between Medieval and Early Modern Europe... - Philip MazzeiPhilip MazzeiPhilip Mazzei was an Italian physician and a promoter of liberty. He was a close friend of Thomas Jefferson and acted as an agent to purchase arms for Virginia during the American Revolutionary War.-Biography :...
(1730–1816), physician, merchant and author, ardent supporter of the American RevolutionAmerican RevolutionThe American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, and correspondent of Thomas JeffersonThomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia... - Francesco MorosiniFrancesco MorosiniFrancesco Morosini was the Doge of Venice from 1688 to 1694, at the height of the Great Turkish War...
(1619–1694), dogeDogeDoge is a dialectal Italian word that descends from the Latin dux , meaning "leader", especially in a military context. The wife of a Doge is styled a Dogaressa....
of VeniceRepublic of VeniceThe Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
(1688–94), of a family distinguished in Venice for five centuries - Edgardo MortaraEdgardo MortaraEdgardo Levi Mortara was a Roman Catholic priest who was born and raised Jewish. Fr. Mortara became the center of an international controversy when he was removed from his Jewish parents by authorities of the Papal States and raised as a Catholic...
(1851–1940), priest, central figure in a controversy that arose when at the age of 6 he was forcibly taken from his Jewish parents because a domestic servant had baptized him - Pasquale PaoliPasquale PaoliFilippo Antonio Pasquale di Paoli , was a Corsican patriot and leader, the president of the Executive Council of the General Diet of the People of Corsica...
(1725–1807), patriot and leader, the president of the Executive Council of the General Diet of the People of Corsica - Giovanni Rappazzo (1893–1995), inventor of the first sound-on-filmSound filmA sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades would pass before sound motion pictures were made commercially...
(1921) - Cola di RienzoCola di RienzoCola di Rienzo was an Italian medieval politician and popular leader, tribune of the Roman people in the mid-14th century.-Early career:Cola was born in Rome of humble origins...
(c. 1313–1354), popular leader who tried to restore the greatness of ancient RomeAncient RomeAncient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world.... - Sacco and VanzettiSacco and VanzettiFerdinando Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were anarchists who were convicted of murdering two men during a 1920 armed robbery in South Braintree, Massachusetts, United States...
case, controversial murder trial in MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, extending over seven years, 1920–27, and resulting in the execution of the defendants - Girolamo SavonarolaGirolamo SavonarolaGirolamo Savonarola was an Italian Dominican friar, Scholastic, and an influential contributor to the politics of Florence from 1494 until his execution in 1498. He was known for his book burning, destruction of what he considered immoral art, and what he thought the Renaissance—which began in his...
(1452–1498), Christian preacher, reformer, and martyr, renowned for his clash with tyrannical rulers and a corrupt clergy - Father Simpliciano of the NativityFather Simpliciano of the NativityFr. Simpliciano of the Nativity was a Franciscan and the founder of the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Hearts in Santa Balbina, Rome, Italy.-Early days:...
(1827–1898), founder of the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Hearts in Santa BalbinaSanta BalbinaSanta Balbina is a basilica church in Rome, devoted to St. Balbina. It was built in the 4th century over the house of consul Lucius Fabius Cilo on the Aventine Hill, behind the Baths of Caracalla. Possibly the ancient Titulus Tigridae, the basilica was consecrated by Pope Gregory I.The adjoining...
See also
- List of West European Jews#Italy
- List of Sardinians
- List of Sicilians
- List of Italian Americans
- List of people by nationality